Measuring Government Social Media Part II: We The People

According to a White House survey of people who had signed We the People petitions that received Administration responses:

• 86 percent said they would create or sign another We the People petition
• 66 percent said the Administration’s response was helpful to hear; and
• 50 percent said they learned something new as a result of the response

That last statistic is the most interesting because it speaks to something beyond perpetuating the petition site itself and it offers a justification for the site to those who are dubious about the argument that We the People petitions have or can actually change the administration’s thinking or policy. If 50 percent of petitioners say they’re learning something from White House responses, that means something. While We the People is still reaching a niche audience compared with, say, major newspapers or TV news programs, it’s likely got a broader audience than administration White Papers and policy statements and perhaps more than the White House’s most substantive blog posts.