United States Postal Service · Washington, DC United States

The United States Postal Service (USPS) handles cards, letters, and packages sent from sea to shining sea. The USPS delivers 203 billion pieces of mail a year (at an average of 667 million per day) to some 149 million addresses in the US and its territories. The independent government agency relies on postage and fees to fund operations. Though it has a monopoly on delivering the mail, the USPS faces competition for services such as package delivery. The US president appoints nine of the 11 members of the board that oversee the USPS. The presidential appointees select the postmaster general, and together they name the deputy postmaster general; the two also serve on the board. To read the full description, subscribe now.