United States Postal Service, Essay Example

Abstract

That the United States Postal Service remains an enormous and active presence in both national and global communication is the result of a hard-won adapting to unexpected and all-pervasive competition. For centuries its place was unquestioned and its role, overseen federally, virtually that of a monopoly. The advent of the Internet and email, along with ancillary technologies which expedited delivery of goods and opened up the market to non-governmental entrepreneurs, presented a sudden and potent threat to the very existence of the United States Postal Service. Through marshaling its employee base and exploiting these very dangers, however, the USPS has weathered the storm and managed to maintain its standing as a multinational giant.

Historical Overview

The monopoly status attributed to the USPS is in fact a government sanction; as the Constitution grants congress the power to establish post offices, this has long been interpreted as a legislative permission to hold a monopoly. Interestingly, this all-powerful presence has rarely been disputed by the public at large, which is of itself indicative of the USPS imprint on American culture. Only isolated and revolutionary ventures within the USPS, such as the Pony Express in 1860 or the launching of air-mail in 1918, generated controversy. Uproar, however, was usually based upon dubious projection for success, and not founded upon any dissatisfaction with the USPS itself.

Moreover, the USPS hold on the communication market has been inextricably linked to, and abetted by, vast social changes and issues, and frequently to the satisfaction of the nation. Patriotism, in a sense, served to fuel the USPS supremacy, and not without some justification. An operational and independent USPS was a significant mark of freedom for the colonies in revolutionary days, and much of the mail carried was literally essential to the formation of the country. Then, as communication was dependent upon physical access, the USPS was instrumental in the very broadening of the American landscape: “After hundreds of petitions for rural delivery were turned down by the Post Office because of….inaccessible roads, responsible local governments began to extend and improve existing highways” (Reebel, 2003, p.19).

Modern Barriers and Challenges

The greatest barrier to an ongoing and fluid reign for the USPS arrived in the form of a direct and massive threat: the Internet. The introduction and subsequent global adoption of electronic mail had devastating consequences for the USPS. Moreover, the rise of the private firms of FedEx and United Parcel Service in the 1970’s cut substantially into the USPS package market. While legally prohibited from delivering non-urgent mail, these companies compensated for that loss through policies of accepting packages too large for USPS delivery. These competitors aligned with the Internet onslaught to create, in a relatively minimal space of time, a potentially fatal blow to the institution of the USPS.

It became increasingly evident that no single service reliant upon physical delivery of information could compete with the new options available through technology. Email renders communication a matter of minutes, while “home shopping television channels, 1-800 telephone numbers and interactive television allow us to order clothing, tickets and merchandise with the push of a button. Even checks…are sent and deposited electronically” (Carbaugh, 2006, p.122).

USPS Solutions

In ensuring its survival, the USPS has had one unique advantage, and one that might appear to be a liability: it is one of the top employers in the country, with a workforce rivaled only by that of Wal-Mart. This translates to so vital an incentive to survive, employees numbering in the hundreds of thousands help to secure their own livelihoods through promotion of the service and a more rigorous attention to providing it to the utmost satisfaction. With such numbers at play, this is by no means a minor, corporate ploy in action. It is a single – and, thus far, successful – concerted effort from what amounts to the populace of a small nation.

Moreover, the USPS has had no alternative but to embrace the technologies posing a danger to them, and turn them into USPS tools. This has as well been enormously effective, and the public reacts positively to the adaptations of the monolithic office. The USPS website, new marketing offers for package delivery on a par with the rival companies, and an over-all commitment to excellence in service have combined to safeguard this venerable institution from the potential end a sluggish response might have brought about.

References    

Carbaugh, R.J.  Contemporary Economics: An Applications Approach  (2006). Mason, OH: LEAP Publishing Services.

Reebel, P.A. United States Post Office: Current Issues and Historical Background  (2003). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.