Game Changer
CHANGE.ORG
Change.Org is a two-way petition system
- Select a topic: Before selecting it, ensure the outcome will be delivered
- Independence: The person hosting the petition is not a member or official
- Communication: The host can send out one email every 24 hours to petitioners
- Delivery: Four months before the next election, remind the petitioners
Opaque government has developed rules on the content of a petition presented to Parliament, effectively rendering them effete. The petitioners are thanked, the petition is recorded, and in most cases nothing happens.
Technology has changed the power of petitions, primarily because they are not controlled by opaque government, and because they are two-way tools… many-to-one , followed by one-to-many.
In addition to the email link, petitioners can write comments, and these often prove the most useful, especially in debate or confronting bureaucrats.
The power of a two-way petition
Traditionally, petitions were one-way, and indeed, Parliamentary petitions still are. With Change.Org (and possibly other similar apps), the petitioner not only provides their name and address, but their email address. The email address is not downloaded to the host of the petition, but the host is permitted to send out one bulk email every 24 hours to everyone who signed the petition until the host declares victory, after which the petition is closed.
The political secret is not to hit the “declare victory” button that closes the petition. Instead, keep the petitioners informed, especially when victory is achieved, but don’t overdo it. People have busy lives and don’t need fluff emails cluttering up their inbox. Then 4 to 5 months before the election the host sends out a few emails reminding the petitioners which elected official and party delivered, and why it will be important to keep those elected persons in office to protect the reform.
It is better if the host is a trusted person, but not formally affiliated with the politician or the party. This enables the host to maintain control over the petition, giving a hostile media one less target.
Most important is to never promote a petition where the officials will not deliver. Once the regulation has been targeted, the elected official must ensure they have the power to meet the concerns addressed in the petition and to word the petition accordingly. In other words, shoot an arrow at the barn wall and then draw the target around it.