Author:

Keywords:

Social Sciences, Economics, Political Science, Business & Economics, Government & Law, Beer legalization, Prohibition, Special interests, Median voter, Representative ideology, New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt, NEW-DEAL, LEGISLATOR IDEOLOGY, ECONOMIC INTERESTS, VOTING PATTERNS, SHIRKING, SENATORS, POLICY, NAFTA, HOUSE, beer legalization, prohibition, special interests, median voter, representative ideology, 1402 Applied Economics, 1606 Political Science, 3801 Applied economics, 4408 Political science

Abstract:

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Nine days after he took office in March 1933, Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress to amend existing federal Prohibition policy so as to allow for the sale and consumption of 3.2% alcohol beer. Over the following 8 days, the so-called “beer bill” was proposed, debated, passed and signed into law. This study analyzes the political decision making behind one of FDR’s earliest New Deal policies. Specifically, we consider how voter preferences, representatives’ ideologies, national party affiliations, and the influence of special interests affected legislative decision making. We find that special interests and party affiliations were particularly important drivers of congressional voting behavior.