Under the Influence

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.