A number of wealthy and prominent Americans formed the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA) . The AAPA was most troubled by what it viewed as national government paternalism and maintained that Prohibition was a harsh statute that threatened Americans' liberties and took away the right of local governments to determine the drink question for themselves. Although the AAPA led the movement to repeal the Prohibition amendment, other organizations were influential as well, especially the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform.

Another reason for opposition to Prohibition was that Americans' moral standards were changing rapidly during the 1920s, serving to undermine adherence to Prohibition. Modern values that emphasized youth and self-fulfillment challenged the traditional, Victorian principles of the middle class. The "consumer culture" was flourishing. Moreover, attitudes toward women were changing during this period, and it became more acceptable for women to drink -- and to drink socially with men. The 1920s was the era, for certain segments of Americans, of cocktail parties, jazz clubs, and fast automobiles. The issue of drink -- whether one chose to be Wet or Dry -- signified an important cultural divide during this period. One's stance on alcohol was significant; it became a symbol for an individual's broader character and morality. Modern values often included a more open attitude toward moderate alcohol consumption.

Finally, Prohibition was often associated with racist and anti-immigrant attitudes and even with the Ku Klux Klan. The Dry vs. Wet battle was epitomized in the controversy surrounding the 1928 presidential candidacy of Al Smith, the Catholic governor of New York who opposed Prohibition.