ABSTRACT
The rise of marijuana prohibition shows how Progressive Era moral reform put the US on a new path of government activism that still shapes American lives today. Progressives found that American federalism offered both constraints and opportunities for reform. Progressives used American federalism to increase direct popular engagement in government, to mitigate some of the problems of industrialization, to make government more professional, and to regulate Americans' behavior. As progressive reforms shifted power to executives and experts, they undermined the power of political parties and legislative bodies. Federalism influenced the strategies of trade unions and women reformers, two of the most powerful forces for reform in the Progressive Era. American federalism produced three unanticipated— and very ironic— consequences for national prohibition of alcohol. The most important Progressive Era grants fostered market-driven economic growth by providing funds for building roads, training the workforce, and improving the quality of agriculture.
