在当前严峻的信访形势下,加之信访工作承载着政府和社会极其重要的价值期许,可能我们一时还难以冷静地就信访工作的制度化、规范化建设进行系统深入的思考。但是,如何在法律上对信访活动的性质进行定位,以便在信访“浪潮”扑面而来的时候有一个基本的应对态度,已经是我们无法回避的问题。从法律上定位信访的性质,要回答一个最基本的问题,即 Under the current grim situation of letters and visits, coupled with the petition of letters and visits bearing the extremely important value expectations of the government and society, it may be hard for us to calmly and systematically think deeply about the institutionalization and standardization of letters and visits. However, how to legally define the nature of letters and visits in order to have a basic response attitude when letters and visits and “waves” are blowing in is already an issue that we can not avoid. To legally locate the nature of letters and visits, one of the most basic questions to answer is: