Update: The signatures threshold for petitions on the We the People platform to receive an official response from the White House has changed since this blog post was published. See the latest signature thresholds.

Today, we launched We the People on WhiteHouse.gov– a new platform that gives all Americans a way to create and sign petitions on a range of issues affecting our nation. And if a petition gathers enough online signatures, it will be reviewed by policy experts and you’ll receive an official response.

Throughout our history, Americans have used petitions as a way to join together around issues they care about. We the People brings that uniquely American tradition into the 21st century.

Here’s how it works:

Create or Sign a Petition: Anyone 13 or older can create a WhiteHouse.gov account and create or sign a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range issues. Build Support and Gather Signatures for your Petition: It’s up to you to build support for a petition. Use email, Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth to tell your friends, family and coworkers about the petitions you care about. The White House Reviews and Responds: If a petition reaches a certain threshold (initially 5,000 signatures within 30 days), it will be reviewed by policy officials in the Administration and an official response will be issued.

We put together a short video to walk you through We the People. Check out the video here.

Got questions? Here are a few blog posts where we’ve been explaining more about how We the People works here and here or check out the FAQ’s for We the People. We’ve also updated our privacy policy with some more information about WhiteHouse.gov accounts.

Still have questions? Send us your questions and feedback via Twitter using the hashtag #WHWeb or submit your feedback via our tech feedback webform.