WASHINGTON – Jimmy Carter could have easily been seen as just a one-term president known for challenges like high inflation, fuel shortages, and the Iran hostage crisis.

Instead, he dedicated the more than forty years after his presidency to a mission of global betterment – overseeing elections abroad, working to eliminate diseases in Africa, tackling homelessness in the U.S. – redefining how both Americans view him and how the country evaluates its former leaders. Carter passed away last month in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at 92 years old.

As a deeply faithful and humble person, Carter saw no other option but to pursue the humanitarian efforts he began while in office, according to Douglas Brinkley, author of “The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter’s Journey to the Nobel Peace Prize.”

“He set a standard that will be hard for future presidents to meet because he accomplished it without seeking to profit from his presidency or joining corporate boards,” Brinkley noted. “The ‘Carter standard’ serves as a guiding light for future ex-presidents willing to follow in his footsteps.”

Ex-presidents who continued to serve

Several former U.S. presidents took on crucial roles after their time in the White House:

• John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, was elected to Congress afterwards, becoming a strong voice against slavery.
• Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president, established the Bull Moose Party to advocate for progressive reforms.
• William Howard Taft, the 27th president, served on the U.S. Supreme Court for almost ten years after his presidency.

However, Carter, a peanut farmer who rose to governorship, stands out due to two significant qualities: his remarkable vigor – he was the oldest former president and lived longer than any of his predecessors after leaving office – and his relentless commitment to improving the world, as noted by historians.

“In God’s eyes, we are all equal,” Carter remarked in a 2020 interview. “We must treat everyone equally and strive to assist those in need.”

Combatting disease and fostering peace: Carter’s Nobel achievement

Through the Carter Center, he focused on eradicating diseases like Guinea worm disease in sub-Saharan Africa. He also monitored elections in Latin America and mediated conflicts in regions like North Korea and Haiti. Arguably, his most recognized post-presidency role was partnering with his wife, Rosalynn, to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “his decades of enduring efforts to seek peaceful resolutions to global conflicts, promote democracy and human rights, and foster economic and social development.”

“He’s been consistently hardworking, charitable, and dedicated to making peace,” said Robert Strong, a political economy professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. “He often took risks in pursuit of these goals.”

According to Brinkley, after establishing the Carter Center in the early 1980s, Carter leveraged his presidential achievements into his subsequent efforts.

His successful negotiation to hand over control of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1978 gave him instant credibility, allowing him to question the legitimacy of Manuel Noriega’s presidency during an election observation in 1989.

Inspiring Clinton, Obama, and successors

Carter’s initiatives influenced not just those in need but also established higher expectations for subsequent ex-presidents.

George H.W. Bush, who encouraged the civic-oriented Points of Light Foundation during his presidency, became a vocal advocate for cancer research after leaving office. Both George W. Bush and Bill Clinton collaborated to aid in Haiti’s recovery from a catastrophic earthquake in 2010. Clinton’s foundation has addressed issues like climate change, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Barack Obama has focused his efforts on social justice, particularly voting rights.

“I believe that many of those who left the office after him felt a duty to engage in public service,” Strong stated.

Brinkley remarked that Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize served as a significant motivation for later presidents.

“They recognized that as former presidents, they hold influence and can wisely utilize it to address challenges they faced while in office,”

“It’s a fresh approach,” he remarked. “Since Carter’s presidency ended, most former presidents, especially Bill Clinton, have aimed to surpass Carter’s legacy through the Clinton Foundation. Currently, Obama is also attempting to reconnect with his grassroots initiatives, focusing on registering young voters. It’s clear that all of them have Carter’s influence in mind.”

Carter’s Presidential Achievements Enhanced His Legacy

According to Strong, Carter’s post-presidency endeavors have positively influenced how Americans view him. While historians and the public often categorize his time in office as average or “middling,”

Gallup’s assessment of presidential approval ratings since Harry S. Truman shows that Carter’s average rating of 45.5% is only slightly ahead of Truman (45.4%) and Donald Trump (41.1%) among the 13 presidents who followed Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“However, public admiration for him as an individual has certainly increased,” Strong noted.