The Legislative Impact of Social Movement Organizations: the AntiDrunken Driving Movement and the 21-Year-Old Drinking Age

Abstract

Objective. The consequences of social movements have received relatively little systematic attention in recent research. This paper examines the legislative impact of anti-drunken-driving social movement organizations. Methods. Logistic regression was used to assess the effects of characteristics of state networks of these organizations on passage of state laws raising the drinking age to 21 in 1985. Variables examined included measures of groups' resources, age, activity and emphases, legitimacy, coverage, and interorganizational networks. Results. Group characteristics related to legitimacy, including president's victim status and percentage victim membership, were found to influence passage. Legislative activity was also found to influence passage. Age, membership size, and financial resources were not found to be important. Conclusions. These findings are interpreted in light of the distinctive characteristics and political context of the movement against drinking and driving. Specifically, it is argued that legitimacy and focused activity may be more important than conventional resources and group age in popular movements in which national organizations provide local groups with substantial assistance.