But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near record highs.

Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington DC.

In the aftermath of such a heavy defeat, Carter was frequently held up by Republicans as an example of liberal ineptitude.

Meanwhile, many in his own party either ignored him or viewed his presidential shortcomings as evidence their brand of Democratic politics or policy was a better way.

Today many on the right still deride the Carter years but as the decades passed, his humanitarian efforts and simple lifestyle began to shape a new legacy for many Americans.

After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics – a humble, two-bedroom ranch-style home.

He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals awaiting most former presidents, telling the Washington Post in 2018, external that he never really wanted to be rich.

Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address global problems of inequality and disease.

He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed themselves to work on peace and human rights.

In accepting his Nobel prize in 2002 – only the third US president to receive it – he said: “The most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest and the poorest people on Earth.”

In a statement, former President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary Clinton said he “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world”, noting his humanitarian, environmental and diplomatic efforts.

“Guided by faith, President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end,” they added.

Former President Barack Obama paid tribute to Carter’s “decency” and said “he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service”.

Republican former President George W Bush, meanwhile, said Carter “dignified the office” and that “his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency”.

President Biden said a state funeral would be held in Washington DC.