Reversing directions: A ranking and comparison of key US intergovernmental events, 1960-1980 and 1980-1995

Based on surveys of scholars anti practitioners, this article ranks and evaluates the significance of intergovernmental events and trends of 1980 to 1995, and also compares these with similar rankings for 1960 to 1980. The most important events of the 1980 to 1995 period were found to be those that generally diminished or potentially may diminish, the role of the federal government in intergovernmental affairs. It was also found that the events and trends which scholars rated highly for 1960 to 1980 generally remained the top events and trends of that period as viewed by current scholars. It is concluded that events and trends that seem important and influential at this point in time probably will remain comparatively significant, even when evaluated in the context of the passage of time.