United States Postal Service
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This article is about the government agency. For individual post offices, see U.S. Post Office (disambiguation). For the cycling team, see Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team.
"USPS" redirects here. For the non-profit boating safety and education organization, see United States Power Squadrons.
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| Type | Government agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | Courier |
| Founded | 1775 (see History) |
| Headquarters | 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Washington, D.C. 20260-2202 |
| Key people | John E. Potter, Postmaster General |
| Products | First-class and domestic mail, logistics |
| Revenue | ▼ US$ 68.09 billion (2009) [1] |
| Operating income | ▼ US$ −3.74 billion (2009) |
| Net income | ▼ US$ −3.79 billion (2009) |
| Employees | 596,000 (2010)[2] |
| Website | USPS.com |
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the United States government, responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. Within the United States, it is commonly referred to as the "Post Office", "Postal Service", or "U.S. Mail".
Though postal services have existed on American territory before the United States' establishment, the USPS's first incarnation was established by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1775, by decree of the Second Continental Congress. The Post Office Department was created from Franklin's operation in 1792, as part of the United States Cabinet, then was transformed into its current form in 1983, under the Postal Reorganization Act.
Since its reorganization into an independent organization, the USPS has become self-sufficient and has not directly received taxpayer-dollars since the early 1980s with the minor exception of subsidies for costs associated with the disabled and overseas voters. However, it is currently borrowing money from the U.S. Treasury to pay its deficits.[3] The decline of mail volume, due to the increased usage of email, has forced the postal service to look to other sources of revenue while cutting costs to maintain this financial balance.[4]
Employing 596,000 workers and over 218,000 vehicles, it is the second-largest civilian employer in the United States (after Wal-Mart) and the operator of the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world.[2] The USPS is obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality. It has exclusive access to letter boxes marked "U.S. Mail." It competes against private package delivery services who cannot deliver to letter boxes and must leave packages by front doors, if no one is available to receive them.
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[edit] History
Main article: Postage stamps and postal history of the United States
The first postal service in America arose in February of 1692, when a grant from King William & Queen MaryThomas Neale "to erect, settle and establish within the chief parts of their majesties' colonies and plantations in America, an office or offices for the receiving and dispatching letters and pacquets, and to receive, send and deliver the same under such rates and sums of money as the planters shall agree to give, and to hold and enjoy the same for the term of twenty-one years."[citation needed] empowered
The United States Post Office (U.S.P.O.) was created in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin on Wednesday, July 26, 1775, by decree of the Second Continental Congress. Based on the Postal Clause in Article One of the United States Constitution, empowering Congress "To establish post offices and post roads," it became the Post Office Department (U.S.P.O.D.) in 1792. It was part of the Presidential cabinet and the Postmaster General was the last person in the United States presidential line of succession. In 1971, the department was reorganized as a quasi-independent corporation of the federal government and acquired its present name. The Postmaster General is no longer in the presidential line of succession.[5]
The Post Office Department was enlarged during the tenure of President Andrew Jackson. As the Post Office expanded, difficulties were experienced due to a lack of employees and transportation. The Post Office's employees at that time were still subject to the so-called 'spoils' system, where faithful political supporters of the executive branch were appointed to positions in the post office and other government corporations as a reward for their patronage. These appointees rarely had prior experience in postal service and mail delivery. This system of political patronage was replaced in 1883, after passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act.[6]
