Although the states have the authority to set the minimum drinking age,the United States has a national legal alcohol consumption age of twenty-one because ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In 1984, the U.S. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required states to set their minimum drinking age at twenty-one. If a state did not comply, they faced the penalty of losing a portion of their federal highway funds. This is known as a "carrot and stick" approach, where the federal government provided an incentive for states to adopt a uniform drinking age while also threatening consequences for noncompliance.

Although the States Have the Authority to Set the Minimum