Social Question  SABOTEUR's avatar  How effective are petitions?
Asked by SABOTEUR (11787 points ) January 20th, 2013 from iPhone
I often get requests to support various causes through signing
petitions. I’m particularly supportive of efforts to prevent the
FDA from imposing restrictions of the sale and use of electronic
cigarettes.  I wonder, though, how effective petitions really
are.  Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0  2 Answers
elbanditoroso's avatar  My thought: almost never.  They make the
sponsor of the petition feel good, like they are actually doing
something. And they might make the signer feel like they have
made some sort of contribution. But the receiver of the petition
– who has presumably decided already NOT to do whatever is
requested (otherwise there would be no need for a petition) is
under no obligation to (a) read, (b) follow, or© even take
seriously what the petition is about.  Remember that petitions
are in no way representative or a fair way to measure what the
population thi