Yes I'd say about 20% of them get a well explained no, 20% get a yes based off something already happening, 10% get a yes on their own, 20% are things they can'

Yes I'd say about 20% of them get a well explained no, 20% get a yes based off something already happening, 10% get a yes on their own, 20% are things they can't comment on (active legal cases for instance), 20% get stupid responses, and 10% are really stupid petitions to begin with (like states leaving the union). More than anything I think the petitions let the administration know how to prioritize releases. It informs them what is 'hot'. Some highlights: Obama administration backs down on Marijuana Legalization: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/addressing-legalization-marijuana https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/addressing-legaliz... Army Stops using monkeys (this actually happened in response to this petition as far as I can tell): https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/army-no-longer-using-monkeys-part-training-aberdeen-proving-ground https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/army-no-longer-usi... National Guard Joint Chief of Staff created: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/chief-national-guard-bureau-joins-joint-chiefs-staff https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/chief-national-gua... This petition (and opinion polls probably) helped prompt the administration to appeal SOPA and PIPA: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/combating-online-piracy-while-protecting-open-and-innovative-internet https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/combating-online-p... This petition (and some campaign promises) have slowly resulted in increased digitization, recently the house put much of their data up in XML: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/digitizing-federal-public-records https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/digitizing-federal... This petition is well written if nothing else: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/doubling-and-tripling-what-we-can-accomplish-space https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/doubling-and-tripl... These petitions happened at the same time as (though it's debatable if it resulted in) the president declaring he would not defend DOMA: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/greater-protections-same-sex-couples https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/greater-protection... https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/repealing-discriminatory-defense-marriage-act https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/repealing-discrimi... This petition coincided with a policy change on student loan burden reduction: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/taking-action-reduce-burden-student-loan-debt https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/taking-action-redu...