Given the daily chaos that is the year 2020, one could be forgiven for overlooking Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s recent attempts to overhaul the United States Postal Service (USPS). It is fair to ask if these changes are worth our attention during a hotly contested Presidential election, a global pandemic, severe economic turmoil, and more. With everything else going on, why was there still widespread and often bipartisan condemnation of DeJoy’s reforms? It turns out that the USPS is the most popular federal agency in the entire government. A Pew Research survey conducted in March of 2020 revealed that the Postal Service is viewed favorably by an overwhelming 91% of Americans. The Postmaster General was then pressured into delaying the changes until after the election and he released a statement to assure the public that the Postal Service’s ability to deliver the mail would remain intact. He even testified before the House Oversight Committee during an emergency hearing. Visits to the websites for the USPS and the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum are one way to build an understanding of this developing controversy. They provide helpful historical context and a plethora of resources including educational activities, significant dates, and virtual exhibits.
“Saving on Postage, 1839 – Before postage rates were lowered in 1845, two sheets of paper cost twice as much to mail as one sheet. To save money on postage, some people cross-wrote their letters.” -National Postal Museum
In 1775, Benjamin Franklin became the Postal Service’s first Postmaster General and in 1788 the service was made an official part of the federal government via article 1, section 8, clause 7 of the Constitution of the United States. According to the USPS website, its mission is “to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service… to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.”1 The site highlights the astounding fact that this service is extended to 150 million addresses six days a week. As a result, even those Americans who reside in the most remote parts of the country receive mail daily. The Smithsonian website has a virtual exhibit with an entire section detailing the ways in which the USPS impacts the lives of those it serves.2 As of 2019, half a million employees worked tirelessly to live up to the USPS’ reputation.3 Though the service has no official motto, most Americans are familiar with the words: “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”.
So why make changes to such a popular, long-standing, constitutional service? Postmaster General DeJoy prohibited overtime pay and removed some drop boxes and sorting machines around the country. These, and other cost cutting changes have slowed the delivery of mail. His actions are part of a broader ideological debate that “boils down to whether the U.S. Postal Service should run as a self-sustaining business or an essential government service, as enshrined in the Constitution.”4 Some believe that the Postal Service’s inability to make a profit makes it an unsustainable venture that should be pushed off onto the private sector. Additionally, now that we are living through an election year defined by COVID-19, voting by mail has come under increased scrutiny due to fears of voter fraud.
Supporters of the USPS argue that much of its reported financial difficulty stems from a 2006 law that required the funding of all pension costs for 75 years and that rates of mail-in voter fraud are miniscule. They argue that private companies would have no obligation to provide cheap, reliable service where it wasn’t profitable. Several Republican Senators have also expressed concern that these changes would be detrimental to rural communities. Amongst House Democrats, DeJoy’s actions have raised suspicions that the White House may be interfering in the Postal Service as a means of suppressing votes. Their investigation is ongoing. As is the debate over the future of the USPS itself. Whatever your opinion, the time to speak up is now.
Suggested Further Reading:
Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service by Devin Leonard
How the Post Office Created America: A History by Winifred Gallagher
- https://about.usps.com/strategic-planning/cs09/CSPO_09_002.htm#:~:text=The%20Postal%20Service’s%20mission%20is,business%20correspondence%20of%20the%20people.
- https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/america%E2%80%99s-mailing-industry/impacting-lives
- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/employees-since-1926.pdf
- https://www.post-gazette.com/news/insight/2020/08/16/United-States-Postal-Service-mail-delivery-2020-elections-Trump-Doyle-Kelly-Toomey/stories/202008160025
This was a very interesting post! I think we sometimes forget how important the Postal Service is since the internet has made us less reliant on mail for communication. As mentioned in this post, I do feel it is important to keep the Postal Service a government service as it ensures the public is getting a reliable service. That being said, I also feel that it’s important to ensure the Postal Service is sustainable and that it’s employees are treated fairly and receive the proper benefits for their work. As far as voting by mail, I understand its importance for those who are unable to physically make it to the polls but I am also a bit wary of it being used as a main method for voting. I think with all of the modern technology we have today it is time for us to find a way to modernize voting to help minimize voting fraud.