The legal drinking age in the United States.
After Prohibition, the age was usually
18 depending on the state, but then in the 1980s President Reagan created a highway subsidy program which basically bribed the states under the condition that the drinking age was raised to 21.
As a result, immaturity, irresponsibility, partying,
DUI, and
bar attendance increased by an additional 3 years, which continues to this day.
When you compare
America to European countries which don't have a legal drinking age, you realize that this behavior is irreversible in the short term and thus no politician will ever lower the drinking age back to
18. Except the Libertarian
Party or maybe Ron Paul.
I'm 21, I'm too old for getting
drunk and partying. Time to get a job.
-vs-
Hey, I'm 21, I can legally get
Drunk! Let's
Party!