The Pope and bishops are supposed to discern the "sensus fidelium," the wisdom of all faithful people. Whether that happens in actuality, is a matter for debate. Another matter for debate is whether the Pope and bishops respect their professed principle of "collegiality" - shared decision-making.
My personal opinion is that the Pope and bishops have not always performed satisfactorily in these areas (and they really piss me off sometimes) - but they're not the absolute dictators that some people make them out to be. And Catholics do not follow them as blindly as many people may think. Disdain for church authority is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church, particularly in places where the Romance languages are spoken. American and Northern European Catholics are catching up with that "take it with a grain of salt" mentality, but I don't think they're as cynical about church authorities as, say, the Italians.

-Joe-