Ok, so putting aside whether this bill was the result of political ideology or regulatory capture, where are the citations that back up your claims?<p>&gt; The article mentions the mandate as one of the central problems facing the USPS, and the fact that it is a requirement that neither private businesses nor other public institutions face.<p>Right, the point of my original comment was to highlight this seemingly absurd policy. The Economist provides no further explanation. People in this thread are quick to color in whatever details they like. I&#x27;m no expert on the USPS so perhaps the Economist has an agenda to push by not including the relevant information.<p>I was 13 in 2006, so if this really was the result of Bush and his friends in Congress, they did a fantastic job of playing the long game. But I&#x27;ll wait to form an opinion until I see credible citations.