Prohibition of Alcohol
18th Amendment to the United States Constitution
What does the Prohibition of Alcohol mean?
The Eighteenth Amendment established Prohibition, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States. It was the culmination of decades of temperance movement advocacy and was enforced through the Volstead Act.
Source: U.S. Const. amend. 18
Original Text
“Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.”
Plain-English Explanation
The Eighteenth Amendment established Prohibition, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States. It was the culmination of decades of temperance movement advocacy and was enforced through the Volstead Act.
Prohibition proved largely unenforceable and led to widespread bootlegging, organized crime, and public disillusionment. It remains the only constitutional amendment to have been fully repealed, by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933.
Key Doctrines
Landmark Cases
National Prohibition Cases
(1920)Upheld the constitutionality of the Eighteenth Amendment, rejecting arguments that it exceeded the scope of the amendment power and that it was improperly ratified.
Exam Relevance
The Eighteenth Amendment is primarily relevant as a historical example of constitutional overreach and the limits of using constitutional amendments to enact social policy. It is also important for understanding the Twenty-First Amendment and the amendment repeal process.
Modern Applications
- Historical lessons for drug prohibition and legalization debates
- The amendment process as a mechanism for policy change and reversal
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