There is this question bugging me for a while now. I can't really state it other than the title of this question. What do I mean by that?
It seems to me that, besides going to vote once every 4-5 years or taking the streets to protest some event or situation, the common citizen has no power whatsoever in a democracy. On the other hand, those (elected) in power control the institutions, the army, the police, everything. If they want to do whatever they want (see for example the situation in Hungary, Poland, and Romania) they can do it and the people pretty much have to watch (especially if some protest ends badly like the one in Romania from August the 10th)... Then wait for the next elections.
So, how can the common citizen defend democracy principles? What leverage do they have against those (elected) that go in opposition to democratic principles?
the streets to protest some event or situation
Street protests are antidemocratic by nature, because protesters have a (much) louder voice than non-protesters, and this fails the "one person=one vote" principle.