Please note this blog will be up for almost 2 weeks until Oct. 5!
This past week the Obama administration launched We The People, a new way to create, view, and sign petitions that go directly to the Obama Administration.You can view the official video about how it works by clicking here. You should definitely look around the We the People site and get more information and see the petitions that are currently open (and sign some if you agree with them!!). The Obama administration has promised to be more accessible and transparent than any other presidency. What do you think about this method of communicating with the President? Do you think this is a positive step? How effective do you think these petitions will be? How does this relate to our discussions of the modern presidency? Finally, if you are interested, would you create a petition and what would it be about?
As always, feel free to comment on any of these prompts or respond generally to the We the People site. The key is to have a conversation with your classmates so respond to one another.
The "We the People" site, a great example for how the media affects the modern presidency (or rather, how the modern presidency can affect the media), strikes me as a a no-brainer that should have been introduced as soon as the Internet came to be. It allows, in effect, every American (13 and over, that is) to basically meet with one of the president's top aides and have his or her voice not just heard, but considered. Sure, not every proposal will even be considered, but 5,000 signatures is tiny considering the size of the population.
ReplyDeleteI am curious to see just how many proposals will actually be accepted, though. If the figure is very low, then the website, while a nice idea, has little meaning. It is also a politically savvy move to give people the impression that you are listening. What counts, as Machiavelli put it, is the impression. I imagine most of the petitions will be simple matters rather than, say, legalizing marijuana. If that's the case, I won't be surprised if most go through.
I have a neat petition idea, but I've pretty much hit the limit on two short paragraphs. :(
Also, I posted that comment at 9:04 EST, not 6:04. Just saying that so nobody gets the impression that I've just violated Shabbos.
ReplyDeletePosted for Jordan:
ReplyDeletePresident Obama, thorughout his short presidency and his campains has utilized electronic mediums better than any president in history. This is another positive usage of the internet to help get people involved in the legislative process. Presidents and their staff have always read constituent mail and petitions, but having a central area for American ideas stramlines the whole process. I am not sure how many more ideas will take real form but it cerainly shows the Obama administration is at least attempting to make it look like they are listening to everyone's ideas.
In relation to the modern presidency this is another step forward to the modernization of the presidency.
One idea I hope to submit to "We the People" would be a petition imploring the government not to cut the military's budget anymore than commanders ask. The deep cuts in the military have already had an adverse affect on the military. Also, during the cuts to the military during the Clinton administration, we fell behind where we should have been technologically and in terms of the quanity and quality of our soldiers. Once we did go to war, we were underarmed and underprepared, resulting in the loss of lives that could have been saved. The army had substandard technologies in terms of body armor and armored personnel carriers as well as the need to take pretty much anyone who tried to enlist in the army. Many people that enlisted were ex-cons of borderline heinus crimes and not up to the intellectual standards of the military. The cuts so far already have few people being bale to pay for college. ROTC scholarships have been all but slashed.
I think that this website is definitely a step in the right direction. As American citizens, we take pride in the fact that we have a say in politics and setting the national agenda. Normally, that is done on the local level by informing elected officials where their constituents stand, but this takes it to whole new level, being able to directly influence whether or not a specific issue gets discussed by a committee. The White House Press Office has always cataloged peoples calls and letters, and this is an extension of that. Instead of sending a letter of support, you sign a petition that you support. My one fear is that some less than serious petitions will gain enough supporters, warranting that a committee look into it, wasting precious time and resources. The other fear is that not enough people will know about the site or care enough to sign a petition, but those people have always existed.
ReplyDeleteWhile the jury is out, in my mind that is, regarding the possible successes of this website, I think it is a wonderful information tool for many American citizens. Some of the petitions being raised are well-intended and could be very thought provoking for our president. A couple of examples are the petitions to reform coinage system and legalizing gay marriage. These issues, are serious economic and cultural/religious issues that our president needs to address. This petition website is a nice way to get his attention. However, and to me this is the reason why this website will not be taken seriously by a majority of Americans, the amount of "joke" (not to be put crassly) petitions that litter the site really hinder its importance. Marijuana and Horse Slaughter petitions, while important to pot enthusiasts and horse breeders, do not really affect the average American citizen. Furthermore, according to the way I understand the method of this website, (and please call me out if I am wrong)any 5000 people can get ANY petition together in under 30 days, and if the signatures are gathered, the White House staff is forced to review it (whatever that means, to my knowledge it has not been clarified). So hypothetically, a school district with over 5000 parents who are not pleased with the work of their board leader or district president can draft a petition to get the White House involved?? Granted the White House will turn it down immediately, however, the concept is striking and bothersome.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this website has good intentions and is a step in the right direction, I find that it wont be taken as seriously, as it should, thus rendering its effect to a minimum.
I agree with Zamir. This was a no brainer for the US government to create and I am also surprised this was not created sooner. We live in a world that everyone is on the internet so why shouldn't there be an organized way to send in requests? Like Eddie/Ezra (not sure what you go by) said, requests, letters, petitions etc have been sent into government for years, so why not have an organized way to actually formulate something you want done? As we aways discuss, this of course will help Obama's campaign in the upcoming year, as he seems to care about the citizens and what they want. This may not be changing the economy, like everyone wants to see, but even the small things in my opinion make a difference, and to be honest these are the things he can actually control.
ReplyDeleteWill this actually be taken seriously by the government? I'd like to think so. I think the answer is that it will depend on the request. There is a set precedent of what actually gets sent to the white house staff, and yes, I think that will actually happen. From there, I think its all up to white house staff. They are not promising these petitions will change laws in the country, they are simply saying that if there are enough signatures,the request will be reviewed by white house staff. Citizens like to feel like they are making a difference, and I think this is a good first step to giving them this opportunity.
Posted for Yoni:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jordan that Obama’s decision to use the internet as a medium between the American people and his administration is a fantastic concept because we have more of an ability to communicate directly with the White House. Now, I think the American people’s voice can be heard and their petitions acknowledged. Definitely a positive step on the Obama administration’s part of empowering the people and allowing them to contribute their visions/ideas to America’s future. However, long-term, this president has an agenda and listening to the people is not his top priority. If he really cared about public opinion, he would have cut his vacation short at Martha’s Vineyard and passed the deficit bill faster. If Obama doesn’t care about public opinion, then surely he will not care about citizen petitions.
I think this relates to our class discussion because Obama is using this website as vehicle of populist rhetoric because the website is called, “We the People”. He’s attempting to represent the majority of public opinion. Lastly, I would press a bigger petition of freeing Jonathan Pollard (an ex-Israeli spy) and apply more pressure on Obama to grant clemency on his prison sentence.
I would like to say right off the bat that this We the People website is very cool. Building off of others already made point that we are not really surprised by this method of communication existing in this age and the era in which we live, I am a little surprised it did not come out sooner. Has President Obama taken care of all the grown up business and now he can deal with our questions? I don't think so. But nevertheless In my opinion it is a positive step for everyone, the people and the president. This very well may set a standard for 'pulpit' to 'pews' communication. I am a little skeptical in looking at these petitions effectiveness. Although some of the petitions I saw were important pressing issues, how much attention the president must afford to them wont really be known by the public. But it certainly makes us citizens feel better towards the President and his administration, at least through the 'placebo affect'. In our understanding of the modern presidency this fits in perfectly with the President bridging the gap between himself/his administration and the people in our age of technology. The website is pretty user friendly so I don't see why a young American citizen like myself would not start a petition. I would (and already have) sign petitions I believed in. If I would start some it would exist in the realm of student tuition help and government loans, as that is very pertinent to my personal life!
ReplyDeletePosted for Eyal:
ReplyDeleteIn theory, in a land with no bureaucracy, “We are the people” would be a lovely notion. However, this is as transparent as it gets. I’m not criticizing The Obama Administration; I’m criticizing the naiveté of the people of America. Kudos to Obama this is a great scheme to appease the people. Give the people what they want to hear. Will the FEDERAL government review a petition with 5000 signatures on it, let alone take what it has to say into consideration? Not a chance! There are over 300 million people in America...5000 signatures? Its one thing if there are 100000 signatures, maybe then someone will be curious to know what caused so many people to sign. But even those issues would most likely already be issues the Government is aware of and ones that they are dealing with, or not dealing with, however you want to look at, for instance, same sex marriage. Clearly the stunt is keeping Americans busy signing petitions, they aren’t rioting in the streets. Unfortunately before the ignorant realize its all lip service, there will be a new president placating the people.
Eyal Greenberg
I agree with my fellow bloggers that this was a brilliant move on Obamas part to make it seem like he cares about the American peoples opinions and ultimately what they want. In the age of the modern President it is crucial for the president to tied into the public. I think there is no better way for the president to be tied into the public than giving them a direct line to the white house on the matters that mean most to them.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I believe it is very important to mention in our blog that the threshold a petition had to reach in order to generate an official response has been raised. At first, the threshold had been a mere 5000 signatures, which to Americans made them feel as if they could make a difference and there voice could be heard. As of yesterday, the white house has increased the number of signatures to be 25,000 in a thirty-day period. It is interesting to note that in the White House blog it says” this may not be the last time we change the threshold both in terms of signatures and amount of time”. Warning! Don’t be surprised if they raise the number of signatures to 100,000, which would make it very difficult for petitions to be looked at!
I think that We The People is an excellent way for President Obama and any other future president to connect with the American people and hear what they have to say about certain policies.
ReplyDeleteBefore this new site came up, Americans were limited in how they could communicate with the president and voice their opinions to him. We could only communicate through the media (newspapers, talk shows, news channels), through protests, or by writing letters to our representatives in congress who would then advocate on our behalf.
All methods of communication between the American people and the president were conducted through third parties.
Third parties such as the media tend to twist things around sometimes, which prevents the president from getting an accurate sense of what the American people want.
We the People is a direct connection between the President and the People, thus eliminating any opportunity for things to get twisted around.
To me the "We The People" site is pure genius. Whether anything ever gets enough signatures, seen, or passed, it is still an excellent way for the President and the rest of the government to make the "little people" feel like they play a role and have their voiced heard. Obama from the beginning has been excellent in terms of reaching out to the public via media and technology. The We the People is just another is example of how true that is, and like many bloggers said before me it's shocking this idea hasn't been around till now.
ReplyDeleteObama is a prime example of Plebiscitary Politics, he fits the mold of the modern president in the sense that the presidents today have the constant threat of media and technology and this web site is using that in the right right. Just like how FDR's fireside chats once changed the world of the president in terms of media and communication, Obama's "we the people" will do the same in terms of having the average American voice heard. Because getting our ideas out there and heard is important and this website makes it easy to do so.
I agree with Nathan and others that it is an excellent way to make us *feel* like we have a role in the government.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in in seeing the responses by the Obama administration. I feel like signing an online petition is one of the most, if not the most, effortless ways to show support for a particular issue. It might feel good to show your support for something you care about by signing an online petition, but I am doubtful that many of the top issues will be acted on, just because of these petitions. I don't think that the fact that there are 20000+ people who support some of the top issues (like legalizing marijuana) is something surprising at all to the Obama administration, and I am slightly skeptical that it will make any tangible difference in their positions.
Posted for Zachary Goldberg:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, “We the People” site is wonderful ways for the White House to see what are the main issue bothering the American people. In today’s day in age, the internet is a resourceful tool for people to connect with one another. Likewise, it’s even more beneficial when you have the opportunity to connect with the President himself. This form of communication enables American’s to share their ideas as well as what they would like to see in the future. Hence, maybe the American voices will be heard. I tip my hat off to President Obama for at least allowing us to share our ideas with him. However, Elie makes a great point that the White House has the authority to raise the number of signatures. One would think that means the white house does not want to be bothered with some petition that has no bearing on government interests. Having petitions is a positive step in the right direction yet, I think this website will not be utilized appropriately and the ultimate effect will be minimum at best.