The lottery is a method of randomly assigning something, usually money or prizes, to a group of people who have submitted a valid ticket. It is a type of gambling that is regulated by law in many countries and is used in sports, business, and public services. It is also a popular fundraising tool for charities and government projects. It has a long history and can be traced back to biblical times, when Moses instructed the Israelites to take a census and divide land, and Roman emperors gave away property and slaves through lotteries. It was introduced to the United States in the 1840s by British colonists. Initially, the public was generally opposed to it, with ten states banning it between 1844 and 1859.
But with states facing budgetary crises and a growing anti-tax electorate, legislators saw the lottery as a way to maintain state services without raising taxes. In fact, they believed that the lottery would generate so much revenue that “states could make up for their deficits seemingly out of thin air,” as Cohen puts it.
Jackson’s depiction of the villager’s participation in The Lottery suggests that people tend to condone evil in the name of tradition and culture. In fact, the story demonstrates that traditions often undermine people’s capacity for reason. The villagers are not aware that their actions will have dire consequences. They greet each other warmly and gossip, even as the fates of their families are being decided.