Budget cuts, drones, Jurassic Park: Serious and silly petitions at whitehouse.gov

In 2011, the White House created We the People, a tool on whitehouse.gov inviting Americans to petition the government to take action on issues ranging from the serious — such as reducing gun violence — to the silly — such as building a Death Star.

After the 2012 election, the petition website jumped into the spotlight as hundreds of thousands of people petitioned the White House for the right to secede from the U.S. on behalf of their states.

Although petitions vary by topic and support, they provide a snapshot of what issues are most concerning to Americans at a certain point in time. From automatic budget cuts — also known as sequestration — to American drone policy, Jurassic Park possibilities and Daylight Savings Time, here's a look at 20 recent petitions.