Neither Snow Nor Rain · Episode 9 of 10 · 20 min
The Case Against the Post Office
For fifty years, serious people have argued the government should not run the mail. The episode presents that case at its strongest, from the Kappel Commission through Reagan's privatization panel, libertarian arguments, and the 2018 reorganization plan, then tests it against the record: Deutsche Post became DHL while privatized Royal Mail struggled, and rural service depends on non-market logic. The current Postmaster General, a former FedEx board member, rejects privatization.
Who's who
- Frederick KappelLed the 1968 commission proposing a self-supporting postal corporation
- David F. LinowesChaired Reagan's 1987-88 commission on privatization
- Chris EdwardsCato Institute scholar who calls USPS a financial black hole
- Steven MnuchinTreasury secretary whose task force studied restructuring USPS in 2018
- Daniel KretinskyCzech billionaire whose EP Group took over Royal Mail's parent in 2025
- Donald Trump+11 more episodesPresident who called privatization not the worst idea in December 2024
- David Steiner+2 more episodesPostmaster General and former FedEx board member who rejects privatization
Where it happens
- Germany+2 more episodesDeutsche Post went public in 2000 and built DHL
- United Kingdom+2 more episodesRoyal Mail privatized by 2015 and later struggled
- Alaska and Idaho, United StatesRemote mail routes that margins alone would not serve
Timeline
- June 1968Kappel Commission urges a self-supporting government postal corporation
- March 1988Reagan's Privatization Commission recommends relaxing postal monopoly rules
- November 2000Deutsche Post goes public
- 2013-2015United Kingdom privatizes Royal Mail; government exits fully by 2015
- April 6, 2022Postal Service Reform Act passes the Senate 79-19
- December 16, 2024Trump says privatization is not the worst idea
Still debated
It is unclear how much of Royal Mail's drop stems from privatization, since letter volume collapsed at state posts too. Claims of above-market postal pay are contested, and no U.S.-scale test shows whether subsidized bidding could serve remote areas.
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