In this lecture, Dr. Totten argues the presidencies of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter did little to inspire American's faith in government. While Ford was a likeable and humble man, his administration achieved few goals and did little to abate the economic crises. His actions made enemies on the right and the left, and further exacerbated divisions within the GOP. Ronald Reagan led a conservative primary challenge in 1976 to Ford and narrowly lost. While Ford won the nomination, Ronald Reagan had positioned himself as the future of the Republican party. Ford ultimately lost to the former Naval Lieutenant and Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter.

Carter's administration was equally ineffective. Carter had campaigned as a Washington outsider and fiscal conservative. Carter's independent streak made it difficult for him to work with Washington power brokers, and he rejected the agenda of the progressive wing of his party, led by Senator Ted Kennedy. The ongoing economic and energy crisis brought out the moralist in Carter, who acknowledged the suffering but pointed to a deeper "crisis of confidence" in American culture. In the end, his speech fell flat, and his Democratic majority accomplished little, except for further deregulation.

Carter's foreign policy was also viewed as insufficient by many Americans. Though he furthered détente with China and Russia, his handling of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan further hurt Carter's reputation. As a result, Americans to this day equate Carter and Democrats as weak on foreign policy and war.

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