An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments
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University of Southern Maine USM Digital Commons All Theses & Dissertations Student Scholarship 5-2010 A Passion for Peace: An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments Lynelle Philbrick MA University of Southern Maine Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Philbrick, Lynelle MA, "A Passion for Peace: An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments" (2010). All Theses & Dissertations. 7. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/etd/7 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Passion for Peace: An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE BY Lynelle Philbrick 2010 ii FINAL APPROVAL FORM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE May 2010 We hereby recommend that the thesis of Lynelle Philbrick entitled A Passion for Peace: An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Leadership Studies. _______________________________________ Advisor _______________________________________ Reader _______________________________________ Director Accepted _______________________________________ Dean, Lewiston-Auburn College iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Betty Robinson for her direction, assistance, and guidance. Her recommendations and suggestions have been invaluable during this project. I would also like to thank the Leadership Studies faculty who have guided me throughout this long process. Special thanks should be given to my student colleagues who have helped me in many ways. Finally, words alone cannot express the thanks I owe to my husband, Dan Philbrick, for his encouragement and support. I am very fortunate to have traveled this journey with him. iv Abstract Jimmy Carter demonstrated prudential leadership during his presidency. Although Carter did not achieve all he hoped to in his quest for Middle East peace, he did meet great success with his negotiations of the Camp David Accords. Carter’s success in establishing peace between Israel and Egypt is an excellent example of prudential leadership in practice. This is important because prudential leadership is very rare and it is often difficult to identify. The purpose of the present study is twofold. First, an original definition of prudential leadership is developed using existing key concepts identified from Aristotle’s concept of prudence and the obtainable prudential leadership definitions. Second, a case analysis of Carter’s Middle East peace efforts during his presidency is provided, with particular attention to his role in negotiating the Camp David Accords. This case helps improve our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Carter’s leadership through the application of prudential leadership theory, along with clarifying prudential leadership for future applications. v Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Statement of the Problem 1 Introduction 2 Review of the Literature Aristotelian Prudence 4 Existing Prudential Leadership Definitions 7 Key Concepts of Prudential Leadership 10 Prudential Leadership Defined 11 Method 14 Case Analysis Background 15 First Aspect of Prudential Leadership 18 Second Aspect of Prudential Leadership 20 Third Aspect of Prudential Leadership 23 Fourth Aspect of Prudential Leadership 24 Fifth Aspect of Prudential Leadership 25 Sixth Aspect of Prudential Leadership 27 Seventh Aspect of Prudential Leadership 29 Outcome 31 Conclusion 33 Appendix A: The Camp David Accords 35 Appendix B: Joint Session of Congress Report 09/18/1978 42 References 48 1 The Statement of the Problem President Jimmy Carter’s leadership is examined as a case exploration of prudential leadership. Special attention is paid to the questions: What is prudential leadership and how does Jimmy Carter’s quest for peace in the Middle East exemplify and illuminate prudential leadership? The research to answer these questions originates from a combination of an examination of Carter’s actions and writings to determine his leadership style during his presidency, as well as an examination of the literature on prudential leadership theory. This research is important because it adds to the existing literature on prudential leadership since modest current literature is available on prudential leadership. This research also improves our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Carter’s leadership through the application of prudential leadership theory. First, the literature on prudential leadership and related leadership theory is examined in order to develop a working definition of prudential leadership and its key concepts to use throughout the thesis. Following this, Carter’s books, speeches, and other and publications that reflect his leadership style with particular attention to his work on the Camp David accords are reviewed along with relevant commentary by others regarding Carter’s leadership. This information is then analyzed in order to illustrate how these events and actions demonstrate Carter’s leadership from the perspective of prudential leadership in order to explore the usefulness of the application of prudential leadership theory and add clarity to the theory. This study focuses solely on prudential leadership and how Jimmy Carter’s work on the Camp David accords are a reflection of this style of leadership in order to tell us more about prudential leadership and to help us better understand Carter’s leadership style. 2 A Passion for Peace: An Examination of Prudential Leadership Applied to Jimmy Carter's Middle East Peace Accomplishments Introduction Historically, Jimmy Carter has been regarded both positively and negatively. He experienced low popularity during his presidency, even though he realized several important accomplishments during his administration. Reading the Norwegian Nobel Committee statement awarding Carter the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, one can see the hallmarks of prudential leadership. “In a situation currently marked by threats of the use of power, Carter has stood by the principles that conflicts must as far as possible be resolved through mediation and international cooperation based on international law, respect for human rights, and economic development” (in Martin, 2003). Aristotle understood nearly two and a half millennia ago that certain people possess unique virtuous qualities of leadership which, when held collectively by an individual, identify a prudent leader. Uhr, (2005) states that although prudence is an ancient virtue associated with practical wisdom, it is now a term that is used in the field of leadership studies in analyzing prudential leadership. All current day definitions of prudential leadership originate from interpretations of Aristotle’s prudence which are explored in depth in this literature review. President Jimmy Carter has been recognized for his tireless accomplishments as statesman, humanitarian, and negotiator. Domin (2003) states that Carter’s motivations are genuine and real and his leadership successes materialize because of his core values, and his commitment to further human progress using these values. One such lasting accomplishment is the Camp David accords which Carter mediated unwaveringly, over a period of 13 days, in 1978. This successful framework for peace between Egypt and Israel exemplifies Carter’s 3 belief that peace can be achieved in the Middle East if it is based on justice and fairness (Bourne, 1997, p. 401). This study identifies the key concepts of prudential leadership as well as examines existing definitions. The definitions presented from past works are inadequate because they are either incomplete or perplexing when applied to current day leadership. Because of this, an original definition of prudential leadership is developed using the existing key concepts identified from Aristotle’s prudence and the obtainable prudential leadership definitions. The second part of this case study reviews Jimmy Carter’s leadership during his presidency, with particular attention to his Middle East peace efforts and the Camp David Accords. Carter’s leadership during this period is analyzed and interpreted using the newly developed definition of prudential leadership, in order to add clarity to prudential leadership theory and to improve our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Carter’s leadership. Finally, the question, prudential leadership’s value and why Carter provides a good case study for this theory is considered. 4 Literature Review Prudential leadership literature is not found in abundance. However, key concepts can be identified using the notion of Aristotelian prudence as well as the other existing definitions of such leadership. Aristotle laid the foundation for prudential leadership two and a half millennia ago when he discussed decisions made for the greater good using several virtues. The following literature review organizes the research so