The Volstead Act is best described as

• A. The federal law enforcing Prohibition and expanding policing authority.
• B. A state-level tax reform affecting policing budgets.
• C. A treaty on international policing cooperation.
• D. A local ordinance about alcohol sales.

Answer: (A)

The Volstead Act is about the federal move to enforce Prohibition. It was the national statute that put Prohibition into effect by defining what counts as intoxicating liquor and laying out how it would be enforced, including creating the Prohibition Bureau and giving federal authorities the power to regulate production, distribution, and sale across the country. That nationwide, federal enforcement angle is why saying it’s a federal law enforcing Prohibition and expanding policing authority is the best description. It isn’t about state tax reform, a treaty, or a local ordinance, which would not capture the federal scope and enforcement role of this act.