We have plenty of control over government. If you don't like who's in charge, you can vote them out.
If you think that's a ridiculous statement, then consider that every major television network around the world covers our political elections here in the US and the focus is always voter turnout and who we vote for. The only reason for that is: we have all the power.
Of course, if you don't like who gets elected all the time, perhaps you need to consider why your candidates never win because it seems far fewer people agree with your selections. Why is that?
I'm not sure that's the case. Studies seem to suggest that average people have relatively little control over the government compared to corporations and interest groups.
In terms of voter turnout: I think the problem is that voter turnout doesn't happen in a vacuums. We have the voter turnout that we do due to a combination of societal factors, practical factors, current events, etc. That's not to say that it cannot be effected, but I think there's sort of a catch 22: In order to have power people need to increase voter turnout, but in order to increase voter turnout people need to have power.
In terms of your second point (i.e. "...need to consider why your candidates never win...). I think you make a good point, especially in situations where one side or the other refuses to engage in the diplomacy necessary to find a mutually acceptable solution.
However, it also seems to me that a free society would require that people be able to find a situation where they can live in accordance with their views without having to make them acceptable to a plurality of society (I'm excluding "core" social norms such as not stealing and outlawing slavery which everyone would need to agree to). It seems to me that a combination of factors makes it so that is no longer the case:
The increasing power of state and federal governments
The increasing globalization of the issues that affect people's lives
The fact that the United States has diverged into at least three different cultures (in a VERY broad sense coastal, southern, and everyone else)
This seems especially true outside of the largest cities and states. California, Texas, New York City, etc. can have very distinct political/societal systems because they are so large, but I'm not sure I think that's the case for smaller cities and states.
I'm not sure what the solution to this is other than that I don't think its fair to just say "The majority has spoken, if you don't like it leave" now that it's not really possible to leave. (I'm not saying that's what you are trying to communicate. I'm just speaking in general)
People don't make decisions in a vacuum. Their choices are dramatically controlled by the information that they receive and their culture. The media has a large influence on both of these factors, therefore they have a large amount of de facto control over the government even if they don't have direct control over government.
If you think that's a ridiculous statement, then consider that every major television network around the world covers our political elections here in the US and the focus is always voter turnout and who we vote for. The only reason for that is: we have all the power.
Of course, if you don't like who gets elected all the time, perhaps you need to consider why your candidates never win because it seems far fewer people agree with your selections. Why is that?