In what seems to be an effort to curb time spent on outrageous petitions, the White House late Tuesday quadrupled the signature threshold for "We the People" petitions to 100,000.
Thank goodness we got an answer on the Death Star before the new rule took effect.
Previously, 25,000 signatures were required to garner an official response from the White House on a petition posted at the "We the People" website.
Macon Phillips, White House director of digital strategy, wrote in a blog post that the decision was a direct response to the booming popularity of the "We the People" site:
When we first raised the threshold—from 5,000 to 25,000—we called it "a good problem to have." Turns out that "good problem" is only getting better, so we're making another adjustment to ensure we’re able to continue to give the most popular ideas the time they deserve.
The 25,000 signature limit meant the White House was directed to give official responses to bizarre petitions such as one to build the Death Star. (White House response: "No.")
The new limit applies only to newly created petitions.
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