If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003.

LIFESTYLE

Americans Want to Keep Postal Service Public But Cut Delivery to Five Days

Although many Americans today rely on electronic forms of communication, they still believe there is a need for the U.S. Postal Service. But they're okay with cutting back snail mail delivery to five days a week.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 31% of Adults think the government should consider selling the money-losing Postal Service to a private company. Fifty percent (50%) disagree and think it should remain in the public sector. Nineteen percent (19%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
 

The Postal Service is seeking Congress' permission to drop Saturday mail delivery as a way to cut costs, and 52% of Americans think that's a good idea. But that's down six points from 58% last March. Thirty-four percent (34%) now want to keep Saturday delivery, while 14% more are not sure.
 

In July, 68% said they would rather see mail delivery cut to five days a week and avoid raising the price of stamps as opposed to keeping the six-day delivery and raising stamp prices.
 

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on February 13-14, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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