Assignment 1: Rationale and Analysis for Agency Selected, Part 1
Dr. Goliday
Pad 530: Public Personnel Management
July 14, 2013

Introduction
The goal of The United States Postal Service is to create “a free flow of information between citizens and their government as a cornerstone of freedom, often spoke of a nation bound together by a system of postal roads and post offices.” (Longley 2013) Postal offices are forbidden to open any letters unless it is undeliverable The United States Postal Service (USPS) is responsible for providing postal services for the United States to all Americans no matter the geographical location. The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States federal government that was formed Washington DC in July 1971. Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster General. In 1775 The United States Postal Service started to move the mail. In the 19th century the postal system helped to expand the West by providing a convenient inexpensive form of communication. The cost of stamps ranged from $0.05 to $0.10 depending on the distance the mail was traveling to and from. The post office used steamboats and railroads to deliver mail. On an annual basis the postal system carried roughly 2900 letters and newspapers. The postal services grew rapidly in the 20th Century, taking over air mail services, hiring roughly 40 pilots and delivering over 49 million letters to different places. Now the Post Office delivers over 170 billion pieces of mail each year and it has over 31,000 post office located all over the world. Mail for military bases were established during this time period making mail accessible to Army Post Office and Fleet (Navy) Post Offices. Emerging from snail mail the postal system has designed a way to reduce cost and produce revenue. With technology, the postal system now offers self services to those