The failure of government to act more forcefully led some prohibitionists to criticize what they saw as the corruption of the Liberal and Conservative parties, and even to condemn the party system of government. A small, but influential, minority saw this corruption as the inevitable result of capitalism with its emphasis on competition rather than cooperation. They also began to perceive crime and poverty as products of capitalism rather than of alcohol. Their answers ranged from Christian social action (such as the Social Gospel) to socialism.
