EP 557 Post Office Remains First Class to Many

The United States Postal Service remains the only mail and package delivery mechanism with the capability of reaching all of America. Despite new technologies and competitors that have been heralded as the end of postal delivery, it remains critical to many Americans, particularly those in rural sectors. And in 2020, when it faced greater pressures than ever during the pandemic, it rose to the challenge of becoming essential to the election process. Our guest, Christopher Shaw, author of ‘First Class’, argues that it must be preserved because it is a national treasure. At the same time, he acknowledges that since mail volume has dropped 40% over the past 15 years, its business model is in need of updating. He’s got an slew of ideas to do that. Most importantly, though, Congress just passed the Postal Reform Act on a bipartisan basis which will go a long way to making the stressed financial situation of the Postal Service better and more sustainable.

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