#216: Presidential Legacies (Jonathan Alter)

People often wonder what a U.S. President’s legacy will be — especially those who only serve one term in office — but the ways we remember Presidents can change over time. One such case is President Jimmy Carter who, to some, was considered the embodiment of a failed presidency. In retrospect, however, many of the ways in which President Carter governed were ahead of their time. Author and journalist Jonathan Alter joins Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang in this week’s episode to take a deep dive into President Carter’s legacy. Alter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and author who has written three books about American presidents. The latest is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life,” published in 2020 by Simon & Schuster.