In a study conducted to reveal how influential individual American citizens are upon their government, it was discovered that at most, citizens have a 30% success rate of influencing public policy.

While individuals have a low success rate of influencing public policies, the Economic Elites have a rising influence based on the percentage of support. This graph depicts how a democratic society should influence its government, if the economic elite were people that is.

The study concluded that the average or 'median' voter has very little influence over public policy while private interest groups and the economic elite have a surprising large influence.

This is an excerpt from the study, which can be read in full : here.

"Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organisations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened."

"Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence"

"I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical" –Thomas Jefferson

Representation of a sitting of the Roman Senate:Cicero attacks Catilina, from a 19th-century fresco