A perfect example of a genuine monopoly is the U.S. Postal Service. Federal law prohibits companies from competing against the Postal Service in the delivery of first-class mail. If a company does compete, the Justice Department will immediately spring into action by filing a lawsuit for injunctive relief agains the competing firm. A federal judge will immediately grant the injunction. If the competing firm decides to ignore the injunction and continues competing, the federal judge will order U.S. marshals to take its officials into custody and jail them, where they will remain until they repent and agree to close down their business.

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The Great libertarian Lysander Spooner started a successful mail delivery competitor to the Postal Service in the 19th century and the U.S. government shut him down.