Petition
Petition, a formal written request addressed to a public official or legislative body asking for correction of grievances or for the adoption of some public policy. The right of petition is one of the fundamental rights of citizens in a democracy. The petition is also a device in a democratic government; petitions are used in nominating candidates for primary elections and in introducing issues for the initiative and referendum.
A formal petition consists of two parts, a statement of the request and the list of signatures. Petitions may also be informal. A common form is a resolution adopted by an organization. Letters and telegrams of individuals sent to officials or legislators are a form of petition.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that Congress shall make no law abridging “the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Nearly all state constitutions have similar provisions. The right of petition became an issue in 1836 when the House of Representatives voted that petitions for the abolition of slavery should be tabled without being read. John Quincy Adams, then a member of the House, waged a vigorous campaign against this rule. It was rescinded in 1844.
In England the right of subjects to petition the sovereign was indirectly recognized in Magna Charta (1215) and was explicitly guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, passed by Parliament in 1689. At first petitions were addressed to the monarch, but after 1700 most were sent to Parliament.