Briefly, he inherited a government that basically was President-less for about four years - two years of Nixon covering his ass and two years of Ford trying to figure out how he got there (the only President who wasn't elected as President or Vice President)
Due to Nixon/Ford (and Agnew too!) people were fed up with government. We were truly living under YOUR screen name ( 
)
Inflation was rampant as was unemployment. Oil prices were soaring because of Nixon's attitude toward the Middle East - the big oil embargo took place under Nixon! Nixon was the first peace-time President to impose wage and price controls, and dare we forget Ford's "WIN" buttons (Whip Inflation Now)?
Carter was dealt a bad hand, and anyone who took over from Nixon/Ford was bound to look bad no matter how good a job he did.
And then Carter looked even worse after he left when Reagan rigged his recovery by changing the criteria used to calculate unemployment and inflation rates. Things weren't better, they just weren't reported the way they had been so both dropped.
And I didn't even get into Reagan's collusion with the Iranians to keep the hostages until after the election and inauguration.
WHY did you get me started on this?
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