In April 1980, which was at the end of President Jimmy Carter’s single (no surprise) term in office, inflation in the US peaked at 14.6%. Inflation is commonly measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Think of it as the price of a basket of goods that most of us buy frequently. About a year and a half later, specifically in September 1981, President Ronald Reagan was still trying to tame inflation; and interest rates were sky high in response.