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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsthe EconomyFinancial InclusionUSPSPostal BankingPublic OptionBanking Deserts•••Started 4mos agoActive 3wks ago

Should the U.S. Postal Service offer basic banking services to the public?

Postal banking refers to the provision of financial services via the United States Postal Service (USPS), a system that actually existed in the U.S. from 1911 to 1966. With over 31,000 retail locations, the USPS has a broader physical reach than any private bank chain, particularly in rural areas and low-income 'banking deserts.' Proponents argue that reintroducing postal banking would offer a secure, non-profit public option for the millions of unbanked Americans who are currently exploited by payday lenders charging exorbitant interest rates. Opponents argue that the USPS is already facing significant financial insolvency and operational inefficiencies, and that the government has no business competing with the private sector in a complex industry it is ill-equipped to manage.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 4.5k America voters.

51%
Yes
49%
No
42%
Yes
43%
No
6%
Yes, provide a safe alternative for unbanked Americans currently exploited by predatory payday lenders
2%
No, the government should not compete directly with private businesses and community banks
3%
Yes, create a new revenue stream to stabilize the USPS budget without raising taxes
2%
No, the USPS is already failing to deliver mail efficiently and cannot be trusted with financial services
2%
No, expanding the federal government's role into banking is a dangerous step toward socialism

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 4.5k America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 4.5k America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @BDXH46F from Virginia  answered…3wks3W

Abolish the banking industry

 @BDSN4WQfrom Guam  answered…1mo1MO

Isn't important

 @BDMNGDX  from California  answered…1mo1MO

No. There’s already these things called… banks. The more government involves itself in business, the more artificially if late costs.

 @BD8PRN9from Maine  answered…2mos2MO

Yes Create a state bank to stabilize budget and Democratise the class differences

 @BD3QHB5  from California  answered…2mos2MO

No, but "banking" should be a basic service of government.

 @BCTXTVBfrom Guam  answered…2mos2MO

Yes but it should be a state issue.

 @BCNT9G6 from California  answered…3mos3MO

No, but there should be a different institution as an alternative

 @BC6KGTV from Michigan  answered…3mos3MO

I'm unsure if the constitution declares it as legal, and it doesn't interfere with debt and postal services itself.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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Based on 4.5k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should the U.S. Postal Service offer basic banking services to the public?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5548705406

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