LSC Blog

Restructure the Postal Service? Privatization?

Written by Meaghan Dickinson | Jun 25, 2018 5:00:00 AM

The White House has released their Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations for Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century.

This Reform Plan is an annual report that started based on an Executive Order (EO) 13781, entitled “Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch”. It highlights the need to evaluate the organizational constructs that support today’s mission delivery objectives. Building on a history of bipartisan Government reform initiatives, the EO focuses specifically on the role of organizational alignment in reducing “duplication and redundancy,” and improving “efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the executive branch.”

The report outlines the Administration’s analysis and recommendations for structural realignment of the Executive Branch to better serve the mission, service, and stewardship needs of the American people. While some of the recommendations identified in this volume can be achieved via Executive administrative action, more significant changes will require legislative action as well. The section on changes to the United Stated Postal Service begins on page 68 and contains the following: United States Postal Service Summary of Proposal: This proposal would restructure the United States Postal System to return it to a sustainable business model or prepare it for future conversion from a Government agency into a privately-held corporation. Like many European nations, the United States could privatize its postal operator while maintaining strong regulatory oversight to ensure fair competition and reasonable prices for customers. The President’s Task Force on the United States Postal System will make recommendations on reforms towards this goal in August 2018. Again, the report is a group of recommendations that are based on the Administration’s analysis. Recommendations that are significant in nature typically require legislative action. The chances of seeing a privatized Postal Service in the near future are extremely low.