Reading @jonathanalter's book on Jimmy Carter fundamentally changed my view of his presidency. I can’t recommend it enough, especially in this moment. With one term, Carter altered several aspects of the office that still shape the way it operates today. For one, he elevated his VP in a way that hadn't happened before, consulting Mondale on all major issues and giving him an office inside the West Wing. Carter had been surprised to learn that past VPs had been kept out of the loop before on issues as critical as nuclear arms control. He disclosed his tax returns, setting a precedent that all others (with the exception of Trump) followed after him. Carter also proposed and signed into law the Inspector General Act, which brought in first formal office of inspectors general for twelve agencies. It created protections for whistleblowers that still has ramifications today.