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Intemperate Spirits

Economic Adaptation during Prohibition

  • Provides a new perspective to Prohibition literature by bringing an explicit economic focus

  • Brings economic principles to life through using the engaging lens of the Prohibition era

  • Details the incentives and opportunity costs for a wide array of actors and industries

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Introduction

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 1-25
  3. Targets

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 27-70
  4. Violators

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 71-115
  5. Line Tip-Toers

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 117-127
  6. Enablers and Hypocrites

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 129-149
  7. Conclusion

    • Alice Louise Kassens
    Pages 151-160
  8. Back Matter

    Pages 161-165

About this book

Using the basic economic principle of making decisions using a cost-benefit framework—and how changes in one or the other can result in a different decision—this book uncovers how various groups responded to incentives provided by the Prohibition legislation. Using this calculus, it is clear that even criminals are rational characters, responding to incentives and opportunities provided by the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act.  The book begins with a broad look at the adaptations of the law’s targets: the wine, beer, and liquor industries.  It then turns to specific people (Violators, Line Tip-Toers, Enablers, and Hypocrites), sharing their stories of economic adaptation to bring economic lessons to life.  Due to its structure, the book can be read in parts or as a whole and is suitable for short classroom reading assignments or individual pleasure reading. 

Authors and Affiliations

  • Roanoke College, Salem, USA

    Alice Louise Kassens

About the author

Alice Louise Kassens is the John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at Roanoke College, USA. She is a Senior Analyst with the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, a Past-President of the Virginia Association of Economists, and a member of the Governor of Virginia’s Joint Advisory Board of Economists. She produces the quarterly reports on consumer sentiment, inflation expectations, and real estate indexes for Virginia and is the founder and director of the Center for Economic Freedom.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Intemperate Spirits

  • Book Subtitle: Economic Adaptation during Prohibition

  • Authors: Alice Louise Kassens

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25328-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Pivot Cham

  • eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-25327-1Published: 16 August 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-25328-8Published: 02 August 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 165

  • Number of Illustrations: 27 b/w illustrations, 4 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Economic History, US History, Economic Policy

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access