The American Founders, as a rule, believed in decentralization, free enterprise, and competition. How did it happen, therefore, that they created a U.S. postal system that was centralized, socialized, and operated as a monopoly?

My new article, published by the peer-reviewed British Journal of American Legal Studies, explores this question.

The Article is entitled Founding-Era Socialism: The Original Meaning of the Constitution’s Postal Clause. The Postal Clause reads, “The Congress shall have Power . . . to establish Post Offices and post Roads.”

The Article also examines such issues as:

* How broad is Congress’s power to “establish . . . post Roads?” Does it mean Congress can construct and fund any roads it wishes?

* Why is the British experience so important in understanding the Constitution’s Postal Clause?

* What does the Postal Power tell us about congressional delegation to administrative agencies?

* Who was the famous Founder who drew a postal salary without doing any work? And added family members and associates to the payroll?

* Who are the little-known Founders who first translated the Septuagint—the oldest complete extant version of the Hebrew Bible?

You can find the article here.