Petitions have been used for centuries among Americans taking a stand on issues that matter to them. With the new age of technology, however, petitions have become even more popular and can be even more effective.
The White House today announced a new way to petition the federal government on an array of issues.
A soon-to-be-live website, entitled “We The People,” will provide voters with an online platform to directly speak to the White House about issues of importance.
Upon its launch, anyone will be able to create or sign a petition on the WhiteHouse.gov website. If a petition receives enough signatures, the White House staff will review it and pass it along to Obama Administration policy experts who will issue an official response. According to the Associated Press, any petition that receives 5,000 signatures within 30 days of its launch would qualify for an official review.
President Obama will even answer some petitions himself, according to David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the President.
“Throughout our history, Americans have used petitions to organize around issues they care about,” Plouffe wrote in an email blast this morning. “We the People gives you a new way to join together with others to ask your government to address a problem, change a policy, or take action on a range of issues.”
In a statement, Obama said the new service will give voters a “direct line to the White House on the issues and concerns that matter most to them.”
Click here to learn more about “We The People” and to be informed as soon as it is launched.