Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. His administration sought to make the government competent and compassionate but, in the midst of an economic crisis produced by rising energy prices and stagflation, met with difficulty in achieving its objectives.arter was unwilling to pander to the people... What Carter really did in the speech was profound. He warned Americans that the 1979 energy crisis â both a shortage of gas and higher prices â stemmed from the country's way of life. Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption.