VICE PRESIDENT 1977 - 1981
When Jimmy Carter asked Mondale to be his vice-presidential running mate, Mondale expressed interest if he could participate as a full partner in the administration, rather than as the largely ceremonial figure that the vice president had been until that time. After winning the 1976 national election with Carter, Mondale set about to transform the vice president’s role. As he wrote in a memo to Carter in December of 1976, “Defining an appropriate and meaningful role for the Vice President has been a problem throughout the history of this country … generally speaking, the Vice President has performed a role characterized by ambiguity, disappointment, and even antagonism.”
Mondale’s vice presidency created a new model. He worked closely with Carter on foreign and domestic policy, took full part in cabinet meetings and intelligence briefings, and maintained an independent staff with an office in the West Wing. As Vice President, Mondale offered advice as a top and trusted advisor to President Carter, helping to guide the administration’s agenda. That tradition that has continued until today. Richard Moe, Vice President Mondale’s chief of staff, has called the Mondale-Carter remodeling of the vice presidency “a gift to the nation.”
Vice President Mondale was particularly engaged in foreign policy initiatives. Mondale's trip to China in 1979 to meet with Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping established the basis for greater economic and cultural connections that have influenced relations since then. Firmly convinced that human rights advanced U.S. national interests, Vice President Mondale fought vigorously on behalf of Southeast Asian refugees forced to flee their governments, bringing world attention to a humanitarian crisis. In a series of 1977 meetings with the Prime Minister of South Africa, Mondale announced a new U.S. policy of opposing Apartheid and seeking a peaceful transition to democratic, majority rule in South Africa. Among other foreign policy achievements, Vice President Mondale also helped to initiate discussions that resulted in the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.