I think living in the PRC would be extremely stressful.  While it sounds like the people are making headway towards having their opinions known, there is still a lot to be desired.  I don’t think at this point the people of the PRC can keep the government accountable for their actions.  From the readings it seems like the main way the people get their feelings across is through protests and marches on the political centers.  The way that the people are censored and forced to meet underground just goes to show how suppressed their voice is.  The people have next to no voice unless they assemble in the masses.  I believe the reason for that is the government, obviously, is afraid of real change that might come about as a result of the people having a say in the way things are run.  The only other option I could see for the people would be to set up councils on a large scale between villages.  And I feel like this is already a thing, but these councils need to take the next step and really pressure the government on a large scale for change. There is really no other way for the people to be heard.  They are being shut down by the government on such a scale that any sort of assembly is made impossible.  Back to the censorship, the government is doing what it can to stem the flow of opposition from both foreign and internal sources. What the people really need is a champion to lead them, to assemble them into a mass that the government can’t turn down.  What I’m really talking about here is a overturning of the government.  If the people are as unhappy as they appear to be with the current state of their government, then it is their duty to go about changing it if the government wont change itself.  They need to rise up and go about taking their futures into their own hands.  This is just the beginning of a long change that the Chinese government needs to undergo, but it’s a necessary step.

I believe that we as citizens of a local, state, and national have a requirement to hold our governments accountable at every level.  Personally, I believe this is easier said than done.  Up until this year, I had no real interest in the runnings of the government.  I just left everything political up to my parents, and I would just sit back and lets things run their course.  But now I have a genuine interest in learning the workings of the government.  Despite this, I am still learning about the inner workings.  However, I think that people have the right and the public duty to demonstrate and challenge the government when appropriate.  The voice of the people need to be heard and every person should involve themselves in some way with the government.  Most people are happy with just voting and leaving things alone until it becomes time to vote again.  In some situations, however, it can be difficult to hold the government accountable because those in power are blind to the wants of the people.  Some of the people that hold power in the government are either oblivious to the needs and wants of the people, or they just don’t care.  In either case, the people have a civic duty to bring it to light.  Like I said before, I’m not very knowledgeable about the government or how people actually go around having their voices heard.  The only thing I can really base anything off of is the movements and protests I see on television.  Those, from what I have seen, have never been very successful in getting their point across.  In one way, I guess, they are successful in the aspect that they bring national attention to their cause.  But when it comes to getting real change from the government, I think they have failed.  If they truly wanted to get their point across, I’m sure that they could find a more appropriate way to do it.  What comes to mind is the Ferguson riots.  The case was already brought to the view of the public through countless news organizations. But they didn’t receive any real acknowledgement from the government towards their plight.