Kakistocracy: When the Worst Get Their Turn with the Steering Wheel

7 min readDec 14, 2024

Or: “How the Hell Did We End Up Here?”

Let’s talk about kakistocracy — a word that sounds like a sneeze but means something worse. It’s when a society, through some cosmic joke or collective lapse in judgment, ends up being run by the absolute bottom of the barrel. You know, the kind of people who couldn’t lead a three-person carpool without causing a six-car pileup.

Kakistocracy isn’t just about who’s in charge — it’s about how we keep letting them in. It’s not like the universe spun a roulette wheel and landed on “idiot apocalypse.” No, we built this system, brick by brick, and then handed the keys to the least qualified among us. Why? Because we love a good dumpster fire, apparently.

1. Democracy’s Little Dirty Secret

Democracy is supposed to be “by the people, for the people.” Sounds great, right? Well, somewhere along the way, we forgot that “the people” includes some folks who shouldn’t be trusted with a grocery list, let alone a ballot box.

Majority Rules, but Does it Work?
Democracy lets everyone have a voice, which is beautiful — until you realize it also means your drunk uncle with the flat-earth theories gets the same say as someone with, oh, I don’t know, a clue. Inclusivity is great, but when you open the floodgates to everyone, don’t be surprised when the tide brings in garbage.
Populism: The Cotton Candy of Politics
Populist leaders don’t solve problems — they sell slogans. They find the angriest, loudest people in the room, yell “You’re right to be pissed!” and ride that wave straight to office. And here’s the kicker: people eat it up! Emotional appeal beats rational thought every time.
The Big Question: Is this a feature of democracy or a bug? Because if this keeps up, we might need a factory recall.

2. We Love an Anti-Hero

Culturally, we’re obsessed with the idea that flaws make people “real.” That’s why we cheer for the crook who steals from worse crooks. But when you take that mindset and apply it to leadership, you end up with people who think “corruption” is a job requirement.

Mediocrity as a Virtue
Somehow, we’ve normalized the idea that being “relatable” is better than being competent. People don’t want leaders who are smarter than them — they want someone who “gets them.” Forget expertise; give us the guy who “seems like he’d be fun to have a beer with.” Never mind that he can’t read the bar tab.
Moral Relativism on Steroids
Here’s the thing: if everyone’s moral compass is pointing a different direction, nobody knows which way is north. Leaders stop representing collective values and start pandering to the lowest common denominator. It’s not leadership; it’s crowd control.
The Real Question: When did we decide that being smart and ethical was elitist?

3. The Algorithm Ate Our Brains

Welcome to the digital age, where the internet gave everyone a megaphone and the loudest idiots figured out how to use it first.

Gatekeepers Are Gone
Back in the day, you needed some credentials to get on TV or publish a book. Now? Any keyboard warrior with Wi-Fi can post their conspiracy theories, and boom — next thing you know, they’re running for office.
Algorithms Love Chaos
Social media doesn’t care about truth or expertise. It cares about clicks, and nothing gets clicks like outrage. The result? A system where the worst ideas get the most airtime, and the best ideas get buried under cat videos and rage tweets.
The Big Problem: How do we fix democracy when the platforms shaping public opinion are run by people who think ethics is a bad word?

4. Fear and Loathing in Leadership

Here’s the truth: kakistocracy isn’t just about dumb leaders — it’s about scared followers. People turn to strongmen and snake-oil salesmen because they’re desperate for stability.

Fear Sells
In a crisis, nobody wants nuance. They want a guy with a megaphone yelling “I’ve got the answer!” Never mind that the answer is “build a wall” or “ban books.” Fear makes people stupid, and stupid people make bad choices.
Us vs. Them
Divide and conquer works every time. Leaders who lean into identity politics don’t solve problems — they just pick sides. Why fix the system when you can just blame “those people” instead?

The Tough Question: Can we stop being scared long enough to demand better leaders?

5. Why We Keep Getting Played

Power doesn’t corrupt — it attracts the corrupt. It’s like a magnet for every egomaniac and grifter with a pulse. And here’s the kicker: we keep letting them in.

The Nature of Power
Want to know who’s running things? Look at the people who are willing to step on everyone else to get there. The problem isn’t just bad leaders — it’s a system that rewards bad behavior.
Mirror, Mirror
Let’s face it: kakistocracy doesn’t just happen. It’s a reflection of our own values, or lack thereof. Leaders are just symptoms. The disease is us.

The Existential Question: If our leaders suck, what does that say about the rest of us?

6. So, What the Hell Do We Do?

Fixing this mess isn’t going to be easy. But here’s a start:

Educate the Electorate
If you want better leaders, you need smarter voters. Civic education isn’t just a nice idea — it’s survival. Teach people how to spot bullshit, and maybe they’ll stop voting for it.
Hold Big Tech Accountable
We can’t have a functioning democracy when tech billionaires treat public discourse like their personal playground. Regulate the algorithms or brace yourself for more chaos.
Stop Celebrating Stupidity
Competence isn’t elitist. Integrity isn’t optional. Let’s stop pretending otherwise.

The Punchline of Kakistocracy

Kakistocracy isn’t just a failure of leadership — it’s a failure of imagination. We’ve lowered the bar so far, we’re tripping over it. The good news? The only way out of rock bottom is up. The bad news? We’re going to need a hell of a ladder.

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