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Economists in the 1920s argued in favour of Prohibition. But economics didn’t yet have the idea of the “rational criminal”, which helps explain why the ban was so widely flouted.

Economists in the 1920s argued in favour of Prohibition, the short-lived attempt to ban sales of alcohol in the United States. They were worried about drunkenness affecting productivity. But economics didn’t yet have the idea of the “rational criminal”, which helps to explain why Prohibition was so widely flouted. Now debates are raging about whether cannabis should continue to be prohibited. Tim Harford reveals how a branch of economics called public choice theory has a surprising explanation for why alliances in favour of banning things can command such wide support.

Producer: Ben Crighton
Editor: Richard Vadon

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14 minutes

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Fri 2 Oct 2020 23:30
±«Óătv Radio 4

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  • Wed 20 Nov 2019 13:45
    ±«Óătv Radio 4
  • Fri 2 Oct 2020 23:30
    ±«Óătv Radio 4

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