Under the Influence: A Case Study of the Elks, MADD, and DUI Policy

What are the potentially negative consequences of an undeniably good public policy? Under the Influence examines how the Elks, one of the oldest lodge-based voluntary associations in America, may have been impacted by government policies such as DUI laws. To examine this empirically, author John C. Mero conducted interviews with fifty-five California and Florida Elk Exalted Rulers. What emerges from the interviews is a voluntary association in transition: having been affected by stricter DUI laws and other government policies over the past few decades, the Elks are reevaluating their approach to associational life. They have demonstrated a willingness to change with the times since their founding as the Jolly Corks in 1884, and―in response to the unintended consequences of more recent government policies―the Elks are seeking new opportunities to contribute to American civil society.

John C. Mero is an assistant professor of political science and public administration at Campbell University.