Prohibition and the Presidency Alcohol has always been a large part of the American way of life. Alcohol is used for amusement purposes, as an enhancement to a meal, and often abused simply to get into an inebriated state. From 1896 to approximately 1933, alcohol was being abused and ultimately causing problems in society and a need for reform was urged by the citizens of the United States. The call for reform led the Americans to create the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which stated that, the sale, manufacture, and the transportation of intoxicating liquors is strictly prohibited. With the passage of the 18th amendment came the Volstead act, which was created to enforce the Prohibition Amendment. The national government's problems did not end with enactment of these two policies, but rather seemed to increase, causing major debates in the governing politic of the country. The major debates that occurred in the governing politic seemed to exist on the simple question of enforcing the newly implemented policies for the whole nation.
Hoover Dam Bypass
hoover-dam-panorama-large-jpg
United StatesEnforcement of the prohibition policy was not as easy as many thought, thus creating unforeseen obstacles for the various presidents and the rest of the federal government to overcome.
Many of the presidents believed the issue of enforcement should be left up to the state governments to handle. They believed that it was not a federal government issue and that the states were better equipped to handle the issue. This was seen by former president Coolidge who instituted an Executive Order to let the states handle the problem. His Executive Order for Prohibition Enforcement, stated that the states were allowed to appoint an individual who was part of the Treasury Department to enforce all of the provisions of the National Prohibition Act in the their...