Rural-Urban Divide A Key Postal Issue

From the OIG:

The post office in America began as an urban enterprise, even though cities were smaller than they are today and were home to only a small share of the nation’s population.
The Post Office Department quickly became one of the most important public institutions, and for nearly two centuries commanded an outsized share of resources and influence in government.

As this brief history suggests, however, the postal establishment has struggled to adapt to the many ways the dispersed rural population differed from the concentrated urban population. Even though America has become an increasingly urban society, rural interests retain a distinct culture that constituents and members of Congress are interested in protecting … (click to read report)