▁examples ▁of ▁government ▁mon opol ies ▁created ▁through ▁national ization ▁of ▁resources ▁and ▁existing ▁fir ms ; ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Post al ▁Service ▁is ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁co er ci ve ▁mon opol y ▁created ▁through ▁laws ▁that ▁ban ▁potential ▁compet itors ▁such ▁as ▁U PS ▁or ▁Fed Ex ▁from ▁offering ▁compet ing ▁services ▁( in ▁this ▁case , ▁first - class ▁and ▁standard ▁( former ly ▁called ▁" third - class ") ▁mail ▁delivery ). 1 ▁ ▁Government - gr anted ▁mon opol ies ▁often ▁closely ▁res emble ▁government ▁mon opol ies ▁in ▁many ▁respect s , ▁but ▁the ▁two ▁are ▁distinguished ▁by ▁the ▁decision - making ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁mon opol ist . ▁In ▁government ▁mon opol y , ▁the ▁holder ▁of ▁the ▁mon opol y ▁is ▁formally ▁the ▁government ▁itself ▁and ▁the ▁group ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁make ▁business ▁dec isions ▁is ▁an ▁ag ency ▁under ▁the ▁government ' s ▁direct ▁authority . ▁In ▁government - gr anted ▁mon opol y , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁co er ci ve ▁mon opol y ▁is ▁enfor ced ▁through ▁law , ▁but ▁the ▁holder ▁of ▁the ▁mon opol y ▁is ▁formally ▁a ▁private ▁firm , ▁or ▁a ▁subs idi ary ▁division ▁of ▁a ▁private ▁firm , ▁which ▁makes ▁its ▁own ▁business ▁dec isions . ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁government - gr anted ▁mon opol ies ▁include ▁cable ▁television ▁and ▁water ▁prov iders ▁in ▁many ▁municipal ities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁exclusive ▁pet role um ▁expl oration ▁gr ants ▁to ▁companies