Last week we introduced the ‘Tyranny of small decisions’. Now we’re exploring the next step, starting with whether petitions are part of the solution.
Petitions can change policy and raise awareness, but they receive public and political criticism alike. It’s hard to decipher whether starting or signing petitions will bring about positive change, or if it’s just ‘slacktivism’.
A few days ago I signed a petition ‘To save our bees and bugs’ and today, having reached 29,279 out of the 30,000 signature goal, the campaign has been deemed a success; a £60,000 fund has been created by the government to map pollinator habitat in England. Once that is done, more funds will be sourced (hopefully) to turn those maps into landscapes of wild flowers for pollinators. Alongside the successful petition to ban Neonicotinoids, this is very positive news for pollinators.
But is this a lone story of success?
Downing street e-petitions were introduced to the UK in 2011, and since then over 33,000 petitions have been launched, resulting in 12.4 million signatures and 3258 official replies.
Politicians don’t seem to have much faith in the system because they believe they will never result in policy change. One labour MP even described them as 'useless, pointless and pernicious'.
Despite this, the public are continuing to petition with a force, probably because their definition of success is much broader than just policy change. Their petitions are starting a public conversation and getting their problem on the radar of MPs, both vital first steps to solving problems. This highlights yet again that by believing you can make a difference you really can make a difference.
Petitions can have a huge effect, but often it takes time and much more than just one petition. For example, it took 17,000 petitions spread over 50 years, plus window breaking and street demonstrations, for women to gain the vote. The petitions supported suffrage bills debated in parliament, increased awareness through attracting media attention and kept suffrage on the political agenda in a way that street demonstrations alone could not.
Further, petitions can have a big influence on the actions of companies. Brian Fitzgerald of Greenpeace explains 'Corporations respond to public pressure much more quickly than governments (because they) invest a great deal of money in public perception'.
Overall, petitions are a powerful tool. They can raise awareness of issues, start a conversation between the public and the government and stop companies from continuing harmful practices. However, it often takes more than just one petition, with other forms of campaigning alongside.
