Final answer:
Citizen influence includes activities such as voting and contacting officials, with pros like empowerment and cons like divisiveness. The cost of voting may deter some, and large communities may lack the unity of special interest groups to affect policy change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Citizen influence refers to the ways in which individuals can affect governmental policy and social issues. This can involve activities such as voting, campaigning, and contacting elected officials. Voting in an election is one of the most direct methods of citizen influence; however, it can come with costs such as taking time off work or arranging transportation to polling places. One of the main factors that prevent a large community from influencing policy as effectively as a special interest group is the lack of organization and focused agenda, which special interest groups usually possess.
The pros of citizen influence include the empowerment of individuals, the promotion of civic virtue, and a government that reflects the will of the people. The cons can involve the potential for divisiveness and the challenge of achieving consensus on complex issues. Not all forms of civic participation are equally effective; active and organized groups can wield more influence than diffuse public sentiment. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for grasping the opportunities, responsibilities, and obligations of citizenship discussed in sections such as 6.7 and 6.8.