Why can the 1970s be characterized as a “decade of stalemate?” What caused the apparent inability of the federal government to cope with the new problems of the time?

tomder55

I've never heard the 70'called the "decade of stalemate " before . Is this something your teacher made up ;or is there a textual reference you can give to support it ?There are certain things that happened in the 1970s that could make me agree with the premise . Among them are the disgraceful way the Vietnam ear ended ;the severe erosion of executive authority and a Congress that was inable to cope with economic challenges ;the erosion of American power and prestige ,and coping with major disruptions in the oil supply due to geopoliitical challenges and weak US responses to them .