ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSING PRACTICES IN CALIFORNIA - A STUDY OF A REGULATORY AGENCY

A mail survey sent to all 25 State of California Alcoholic Beverage Co ntrol (ABC) offices and distributed to all 167 investigators assessed investigators' decisions to recommend issuance or denial of alcoholic beverage license applications. Investigators responded to three hypoth etical vignettes that involved applications for liquor licenses. Findi ngs show that although ABC investigators are influenced by public prot ests, illegal applications, and an applicant's moral character, they c onsistently favor licensing the applicant. The two formal rules that w ere designed specifically to respond to the community's welfare do not present serious barriers to obtaining an alcohol license. As a state regulatory organization, ABC is influenced greatly by the industry tha t it is supposed to regulate.