Reinventing Government in the United States Post Service :: Politics Mail Papers

Reinventing Government in the United States Post Service In this research paper, I will discuss an overview of reinventing government in the United States Postal Service. The purpose of reinventing government is to make government work better, cost less, and get results. I will also provide examples of how reinventing has effected the organization. I will touch upon some of the history of the United States Postal Service, some of its plans for the year 2000, and how the concept of reinventing government has improved the voice of the customer, employee and the business. President Bill Clinton, January 27, 2000 stated the â€Å"we reinvented government, transforming it into a catalyst for new ideas that stress both opportunity and responsibility, and give our people the tools they need to solve their own problems.† History United States Postal Service dates back to 1775 when the Continental Congress named Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General. The United States was a weak confederation of colonies scattered along the eastern seaboard. The postal system that was created by Congress helped bind the new nation together and made possible the growth of commerce. In 1971 the Post Office Department was transformed into the United States Postal Service, a quasi government corporation. It became an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States. The mission of the Postal Service remained the same, as stated in Title 39 of the U.S. Code: â€Å"The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal service to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient service to patrons in all areas and shall render postal service to all communities.† Today, William Henderson is the 71st Postmaster. He was appointed the PMG and CEO of the United States Postal Service on May 16, 1998. The USPS is an agency that employs 800,000 career and 100,000 temporary employees. There are 40,000 Post Offices, and USPS maintains some 300 plants nationwide. The Postal Service fuels the nation’s economy and delivers hundreds of millions of messages and billions of dollars in financial transactions each day to eight million businesses and 250 million Americans. The United States Postal Service is becoming more businesslike and responsive to customer needs. In the process they are better able to compete with other carriers, such as, Federal Express and United Parcel Service (UPS).