Kakistocracy

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Kakistocracy is Greek for "rule by the worst people." Why does turning away from elite rule and institutions so often lead to corruption, insta­bility, illiberalism, and economic decline? In Kakistocracy , Richard Hanania dissects the dominant political story of our era: the global rise of populism. The United States is one among many nations shifting from a political spectrum of conservatives versus liberals to populists versus insti­tutionalists, opening the door for the least honest and competent figures to take power—and often be rewarded for failure. Hanania is a legal scholar and political scientist by training, contributor to Project 2025, and repen­tant Trump voter. He argues that modern democracies suffer from inefficiency, special-interest domination, and incompetence. Left unchecked, he warns, these trends create dysfunction in housing, energy, health, and the economy, paving the way for corruption and creeping