Changes to the bitcoin protocol will become increasingly difficult as the network grows. The proces of adapting the Bitcoin protocol involves negotiating support by the big mining pools. Decisions on which direction bitcoin should go is the result of the interactions between a strict set of developers and a strict set of miners. The power is and will always be with the miners. There is no reason however that small miners should have no say in it. There is also no reason for developers to decide which issues should be adressed and when they should be adressed.

I think the proces can be made much faster, safer and more fair if miners start proactively broadcasting their desired direction of the protocol in a agreed upon format in the blocks they have mined. You can easily derive from the blockchain what idea has support from the majority of the hashpower. Think of it as a real time voting system for those with actual power.