citizens'right to petition

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizens the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” People have readily exercised this right, sending Congress petitions on any number of issues. A petitioner can be a single individual or a long list of signatures. In the early 19th century, reformers petitioned Congress to ban alcohol, abolish slavery, and give the vote to women. After the Civil War, many individuals (known as claimants) petitioned the government for military pensions or for compensation for property destroyed during the war. During the depression of the late 1920s and 1930s, Congress received petitions to improve roads, censor the movies, and provide economic relief.

When citizens write to their senators and representatives for help with their Social Security payments, veterans' pensions, and other problems with the bureaucracy, they are utilizing their right to petition.