Rationing in the United States

Gasoline rationing in the 1970s[edit]

Rationing policies were enacted in response to both the 1973 Oil Crisis and 1979 Oil Crisis and policies varied by states. In California, even-odd rationing systems were created which alternated which day even and odd numbered license plates could get gas.^[23] Gas stations throughout the country shortened their hours and on some days only served emergency vehicles. These policies were often met with hostility from consumers. In Baltimore, it peaked in February 1974 with gas station lines up to 5 miles long and violent threats made towards gas station owners.^[24]


After the 1973 embargo, debates began over the necessity of gas rationing and rotation plans. President Richard Nixon reacted by creating the Federal Energy Office (FEO) which created a rationing plan that involved printing out 4.8 billion rationing coupons that were to be distributed to driver's license holders with the availability of mass transit being taken into account.^[25] In 1975, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act which required that rationing plans pass congressional review. The next plan to be submitted was President Gerald Ford’s before leaving office in January 1977.^[25]


After assuming the presidency, Jimmy Carter withdrew Ford’s plan citing issues with the efficiency and implementation of the plan.^[25] These plans faced scrutiny from the Chamber of Commerce, who stated in 1979 that they “opposed any form of rationing or allocation as solutions to current or future energy problems”.^[26] Throughout the country, rationing plans were a point of contention. One Gallup poll in 1979 found that 40% of Americans polled favored a rationing program that would require Americans to drive one fourth less.^[27] Initially, Carter's proposed plan kept the part of Johnson's plan that called for gas to be equally distributed by drivers licenses.^[25] This drew widespread criticism because it didn’t factor discrepancies in the amount of gas needed in different areas. This criticism caused Carter to amend the plan, basing the allocation instead around historic consumption.^[28] Another amendment was added at the request of the Republican opposition which would require a twenty percent shortage for 30 days in order to enact the plan.^[29] This plan based around historic consumption succeeded in the Senate 58 to 39, but failed in the House 159 to 246.^[30] After this failure, the Carter administration negotiated with congress which culminated in the Emergency Energy Conservation Act being signed into law which made it so Congress wasn’t required to approve the plan and instead could only vote to disprove the plan.^[31] On July 30, 1980, Carter's plan was enacted and the United States had a standby plan for rationing Gasoline based around historic consumption with provisions around special usage for certain industries and a white market.^[32]