Economic and Social Effects of Prohibition Essay examples -- history

Economic and Social cause of barThere are many ways in which obstacle of alcoholic beverage consumption in the United States of America, damaged the very stinting and hearty aspects of American culture, that it was designed to heal. obstacle did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intend to solve. On 16th January 1920, one of the most common personal habits and usage of American society came to a halt. The eighteenth amendment was implemented, making all importing, exporting, transporting, sell and manufacturing of intoxicating spiritss absolutely prohibited. This law was created in the hope of achieving the reduction of alcohol consumption, which in turn would reduce crime, poverty, death rates, and improve both the economy, and the property of life for all Americans. These goals were far from achieved. The barrier amendment of the 1920s was ineffective because it was un enforceable. Instead, it caused various social problems such as the explosiv e growth of organized crime, increase liquor consumption, massive murder rates and corruption among city officials. Prohibition in like manner hurt the economy because the organisation wasnt collecting taxes on the multi-billion clam a year industry. One of the main reasons that prohibition failed, was because it was difficult to conquer the mass flow of illegal liquor from various countries, mainly Canada. Bootleggers disgraceful liquor from oversees and Canada, stole it from government warehouses, and produced their own. The newly established Federal Prohibition Bureau had only 1,550 agents, and with 18,700 miles of vast and virtually unpoliceable coastline, it was clearly impossible to veto immense quantities of liquor from entering the country. Not even 5% of mordant liquor was ever actually captured and seized from the hands of the bootleggers. Bootlegging had become a very competitive and lucrative market with the adaptation of prohibition. This illegal subway economy fell into the hands of organized gangs who over powered most of the authorities. Most of these gangsters, secured their businesses by bribing an immense number of city officials. Mainly government agents and people with high political status such as Mayors, Judges, police force Chiefs, Senators and Governors, found their names on gangsters payroll. To some surprise, the consumption ... ...ederal officers to enforce the prohibition law. Many of those officers found themselves in the midst of the exchange of dirty currency between the bootleggers and themselves. Tax dollars were also pass on prosecuting bootleggers who got captured. Millions of dollars annually were spent convicting and keeping the prisoners in jails. Other economic problems were that citizens found themselves drinking remote their pay cheques. These economic problems resulted in the government not taking in as much money as they could have, and spending money in areas that could have been avoided, if prohibition hadnt existed in the first place. It was apparent that Prohibition didnt achieve its goals, instead, it added to the existing economic and social problems, as head as creating new problems that would be prominent in todays society. Organized crime grew into an empire, disrespect for the law grew, the per capita consumption of alcohol increased dramatically, city officials fell to gangsters, and the government lost money. It is obvious that prohibition was a miserable failure from all points of view. Reasonable measures were not taken to enforce the laws, so they were practically ignored.