Lever Act

E3576

Lever Act is the common name for the 1917 U.S. wartime law that gave the federal government broad powers to control food and fuel production, distribution, and pricing during World War I.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
wartime emergency legislation
aimedAt preventing shortages of food during World War I
preventing shortages of fuel during World War I
stabilizing prices during wartime
alsoKnownAs Lever Food and Fuel Control Act
appliesTo distributors of food in the United States
distributors of fuel in the United States
food producers in the United States
fuel producers in the United States
areaOfLaw administrative law
economic regulation
war powers
context United States home front during World War I
country United States
empowered federal government to license businesses dealing in food and fuel
federal government to regulate hoarding
federal government to regulate speculation in food and fuel
federal government to set maximum prices for certain commodities
enactedBy United States Congress
enactedDuring World War I
grantedPowerTo President of the United States
United States Food Administration
United States Fuel Administration
historicalPeriod Progressive Era
jurisdiction federal government of the United States
legalStatus amended over time
namedAfter Asbury Francis Lever
officialName Food and Fuel Control Act
purpose to control distribution of food during World War I
to control distribution of fuel during World War I
to control pricing of food during World War I
to control pricing of fuel during World War I
to control production of food during World War I
to control production of fuel during World War I
relatedTo Espionage Act of 1917
Sedition Act of 1918
United States Food Administration
United States Fuel Administration
signedBy Woodrow Wilson
signingDate 1917-08-10
sponsor Asbury Francis Lever
subject food supply
fuel supply
price controls
wartime economic regulation
timePeriodOfEffect World War I era
yearEnacted 1917

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Lever Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917
hasShortName

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