Policy Studies Regulatory Reform

Five policies from abroad that could improve the U.S. Postal Service

Key Points

Like Denmark, USPS could re-imagine basic letter service. Slower, but much more reliable delivery times with fewer delivery days.
Postal machines should use off-the-shelf hardware and software that makes them capable of any purchase a clerk can do. Singapore embraced best-in-class postal machines, USPS can too.
Finland’s post office found that dynamically changing mail carrier routes to more-evenly spread out mail and parcels makes delivery times more reliable. This could be one way USPS could respond to a complaint by postal customers.

If USPS is to thrive, it will need to quickly learn and implement the proven, low-risk successes of its peers abroad.

Press release: Postal service blues: Five policies from abroad that could improve the USPS

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