2 ms·

> .. a government agency, which many people believe the postal service to be (even though it isn't anymore). Can you clarify/defend this? I realize the USPS is

• twblalock 10y ago
  It's effectively independent. The postal service is not going to bust you for violating parole, put your welfare checks in jeopardy, or ask you about your immigration status. But a lot of poor people avoid contact with government because they fear those things will happen, and a lot of them may not understand that the postal service is different.
  • Cyphase 10y ago
    That's not really addressing the point; whether or not the USPS does those things you mentioned doesn't really affect how much or little of a government agency they are. I would again point you to the "Governance and organization" section on the USPS Wikipedia page.[1] Specifically this paragraph: The USPS is often mistaken for a government-owned corporation (e.g., Amtrak) because it operates much like a business. It is, however, an "establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States", (39 U.S.C. § 201) as it is controlled by Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General. As a government agency, it has many special privileges, including sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, powers to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations, and an exclusive legal right to deliver first-class and third-class mail. Indeed, in 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that the USPS was not a government-owned corporation, and therefore could not be sued under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Of course the Wikipedia article cites external sources, such as Title 39 of the US Code[2] (which is entirely about the USPS) and a Supreme Court ruling. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service#Governance_and_organization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service#G... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_39_of_the_United_States_Code https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_39_of_the_United_States_...