Final answer:
The federal government's efforts in the 1960s and 1970s towards equality, including affirmative action, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act were significant but were also spurred by grassroots movements. The Great Society programs aimed to combat racial injustice and poverty, but faced challenges, especially due to the Vietnam War, leading to ongoing debates about these policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The federal government in the late 1960s and 1970s took significant steps to promote equality in the United States, particularly with initiatives like affirmative action, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, most of the progress toward racial equality was initiated by grassroots movements and ordinary people's campaigns for justice, which spurred governmental action. While the African-American civil rights movement was the most visible, other ethnic minorities also campaigned for equality, sometimes using similar tactics. Subsequently, the programs that offered economic and educational opportunities began to face criticism for so-called 'reverse discrimination', leading to a debate that continues to this day.
Under the umbrella of LBJ's Great Society initiative, and affected by the Vietnam War, these government efforts included public housing development and policies aimed at abolishing discrimination and reducing poverty. Nevertheless, these actions raised public expectations that were difficult to meet, especially with the financial strains imposed by the Vietnam War, leading to a certain amount of disillusionment and debate about federal policies and their effectiveness.