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Carter was raised on his family's farm in Plains, Ga. (Adobe Stock photo) |
As governor of Georgia, Carter "recognized early on that economic growth and environmental protection could coexist when grounded in faithful stewardship of the land," Hayslettin writes. "Upon reaching the White House, Carter elevated rural issues to national prominence. In 1979, he unveiled a comprehensive Small Community and Rural Development Policy, a first of its kind."
As president, Carter worked to address rural health care disparities by supporting the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977. Hayslettin explains, "This landmark legislation increased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural health centers and allowed payment for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in these facilities."
Carter used his uniquely personal understanding of rural life to extend his rural advocacy beyond health care. Hayslettin writes, "He established the Department of Energy and championed renewable energy and conservation as moral imperatives – a focus that had particular relevance for rural energy consumption."
Carter’s rural legacy is marked by an ironic political change that began during his term. Hayslettin adds, "The 1980 presidential election, which Carter lost to Ronald Reagan, marked the beginning of a tidal wave shift in rural voters away from the Democratic Party and toward the Republicans."
Carter was defeated by Reagan in "one of the worst defeats ever inflicted on an incumbent president," Hayslettin writes. "He later described his own presidency as 'mediocre.' But time and history have a way of correcting and perfecting records, as they have done for Carter’s international work and post-presidential work. The same should certainly be true for his efforts to improve the lives of rural Americans."
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