> average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. (Emphasis mine.) I think independent is the key here. Often by chanc

> average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. (Emphasis mine.) I think independent is the key here. Often by chance, mishap, or a large, well-backed player legislation has the happy misfortune of seemingly stemming from normal citizens' actions. How should we proceed since it seems that what many of us suspected is true, i.e., we have little to no affect on our government's policies, even though it fundamentally affects us? Or can anyone provide a counter point? (I'm thinking of net neutrality being a half-counter, seeing how many of the teeth were removed.)