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?

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 .