Like many businesses, the alcohol biz tries to exert control over the country's laws that affect their bottom line through lobbies and contributions. You can blame them, as alcohol in the U.S. has a ton of federal, state, and county rules on what you can do.
One segment outspends everyone else by a large margin.
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| Campaign contributions to states by alcohol segments image from Tom Wark |
The graph shows wholesalers spending far more on gaining influence in state elections. Why? Access. Because consumer product access means more money for them. They don't want restrictions limiting sales. Also, they wouldn't mind less competition from winery direct sales, or other distributors.
Wholesalers control the distribution of alcohol in the U.S. as the middleman in the three-tier system. The other tiers being the producers and the retailers. The wholesalers certainly don't want to lose state legislature mandated requirements for retailers to buy from them. They have tried to limit consumers from being able to buy from anywhere but the retailers they supply. Until the 2005 Supreme Court ruling on direct shipping, they had tight control.
This is why the alcohol middlemen contribute so much to politicians -- control of alcohol access. It has nothing to do with helping you have more choices or lower prices.
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