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Cultural Norms and Political Mobilization: Accounting for Local and State-Level Liquor Laws, 1907–1919

During the decade prior to the adoption of federal prohibition in 1920, states across the country created local and statewide laws banning alcohol sales. This paper examines the relationship between cultural groups (urban, religious, and immigrant populations) and the adoption of prohibition legislation. Unlike previous research which concentrates on only a few states, this study provides a nationwide comparison of census data, business directories that identify the location of saloons by county, and county-level voting results. The results demonstrate that, while cultural factors played a prominent role in determining local policies towards saloons, these factors mattered less in state-level prohibition referenda. In these statewide contests, it was the location of saloons that often proved to be the most important factor in determining voting outcomes.