Week Eight Weblog

The first Postmaster General, in 1775, was Benjamin Franklin who signed both the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States. He is perhaps one of the most revered figures in all of the US History. Only two years after the signing of the Constitution, the US’s first Post Office opened (1789). The fact that such a prominent leader in the formation of the nation was also involved in the inception of the USPO gives weight to the argument that this institution is essential to the preservation of the ideals of what the US stands for. The USPO was a part of the foundation of democracy in America.

The Post Office is an example of a US government agency that has been a direct victim of deregulation and privatization trends. The increase of Representative International Government Organizations (IGOs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) after the formation of the US Post Office (USPO) is the direct cause of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. Perhaps one of the most devestating blows to the fabric of democracy in America was the removal of the Postmaster General from the President's Cabinet. This Act also led to competition with an organization that is an essential pillar of the US infrastructure. The function of the USPO was to ensure the fair and efficient transmission of parcels, paper mail and telegraphs which, in turn, carries the ethos of democracy. Instead of depleting the power of the USPO, the US should have given it more breadth of influence and attention in the national debate of evolving communication technologies.