Product Review

As President, Jimmy Carter was renowned for abandoning Washington protocol. Ousting presidential pomp and circumstance and elitism, he banished the presidential limousines and carried his own bags. Following his political convictions, he saw himself as a public trustee, determined to play a dominant role in government and undertake a number of bold initiatives. In the process, argues Burton Kaufman, he tried to do too much too quickly in foreign and domestic policy and ignored political process, regardless of the consequences. Kaufman contends that despite being considerate, compassionate, well-informed and one of the nation's most intelligent presidents, Carter was at best a mediocre president and, at worst, the head of a failed administration. Carter came to the White House long on intentions but short on know-how, Kaufman maintains, and although he worked diligently to win support for his policies and programmes, he failed to establish the base of public and political legitimacy he needed to be a successful trustee president. Although some revisionists are now suggesting Carter's contemporary critics misjudged the administration or applied unfair standards in evaluating Carter's presidency, Kaufman believes the original evaluations were essentially correct. Unlike those revisionists' writings, "The Presidency of James Earl Carter, Jr" is based on newly-available files and papers in the Carter library. Concentrating on the major issues of the Carter administration, including arms control, the energy crisis, inflation, affirmative action and the Iran hostage crisis, Kaufman argues that this complex, inconsistent, and often contradictory president never adequately articulated an overarching purpose and direction for his administration.