After campaigning as an "outsider" in 1976, how did Carter's lack of ties to Washington affect the success of his presidency?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
- Congressional power: Carter's lack of national political experience resulted in his having little understanding of how Washington worked; this resulted in few accomplishments, despite Democratic control of Congress, although he did reform civil service, Social Security, and Medicare, and he created the departments of Energy and Education; discredited the liberal tradition of the Democratic Party
- Lack of economic policy success: he was unable to turn the economy around or to lower the federal deficit; failed to end the energy crisis; economy continued to stall, and inflation continued to rise
- Foreign policy: produced mixed results but installed a modicum of new idealism based on his championing of human rights; punished or censured repressive military regimes in Latin America; halted foreign covert interventions by the CIA; approved the treaty to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama; achieved full diplomatic relations with China; brokered the Camp David Accords, which resulted in Egypt's recognition of Israel; had to put aside human rights principles to stabilize repressive regimes; failed to achieve détente with the Soviet Union; Iranian hostage crisis resulted after he allowed the Shah to enter the United States for medical treatment and then could not negotiate release for the hostages
- Carter's detachment: his foreign policy often reflected disorientation as he put aside commitment to human rights to support repressive regimes; his "malaise" speech led to citizens' resentment for blaming them for the energy crisis and advising them to put aside materialism