The founding fathers considered the post office crucial to the country’s formation, but a shift to running the USPS like a business has affected how it serves citizens.
Mail delays are a current issue, but what do they have to do with a document signed on September 17, 1787?
The U.S. Constitution doesn’t say much about the post office. Under Article 1, Section 8 it says that, among other things, Congress shall have the power to “establish Post Offices and post Roads.” While that might not seem like much, the mere mentioning of the post office in the Constitution means it was considered crucial to the formation of the United States.
“Well our founding fathers knew the importance of a postal service, and they knew it was important to really keep the country together,” says Peters, who is the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which studies federal agencies and departments including the Postal Service. He says it was important when the country was founded and it’s still relevant.