{"id":1615,"date":"2011-07-21T18:08:44","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T23:08:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.davidmcelroy.org\/?p=1615"},"modified":"2011-07-21T18:08:44","modified_gmt":"2011-07-21T23:08:44","slug":"rational-rules-dont-apply-when-the-state-gives-itself-a-monopoly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidmcelroy.org\/?p=1615","title":{"rendered":"Rational rules don’t apply when the state gives itself a monopoly"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>For years, pretty much everything about the U.S. Postal Service has been a political nightmare. Decisions at the failing service are made because different political players demand things, not because they’re in line with market reality.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, the postmaster general — which is a fancy state title for CEO — said that continuing losses are going to doom Saturday delivery and cut service to three days per week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I don’t have an opinion about whether there’s a market for mail that’s delivered six days a week. I doubt anyone else has a realistic assessment, either, because the market for mail services has never been submitted to private competition in this country to see what people want and are willing to pay for.<\/p>\n

Maybe there’s a market for six-day-a-week mail. Maybe there’s a market for companies to deliver just once a week. Maybe it’s something else entirely. I don’t have a clue. Neither do you. It’s only through the operation of the market that we find out answers to questions such as this one.<\/p>\n

Think about all the things that Congress dictates about the postal service (either directly or through a commission that it can control):<\/p>\n