Is America Entering Her Kakistocracy Era?

Being a writer, I’m fairly confident in the extent of my vocabulary. I was nevertheless surprised to learn a new word in 2024—and to realize that, according to more than a few pundits, it defined the entire year. The herd of political onlookers might actually be onto something.

The word is so arcane my Word document flags it as a misspelling. Whereas an “idiocracy” is a society governed by morons, a “kakistocracy” is one “governed by its least suitable or competent citizens.” In this case, our nation’s overlords aren’t dummies, but might be defined by cunning, self-interest, venality, delusion, vanity or mental decline.

They most definitely do not adhere to Thomas Jefferson’s observation that, “Power is not alluring to pure minds.” By contrast, a kakistocracy is a government run by impure folks who crave little more than power. Such a system more closely resembles Benjamin Franklin’s observation: “In rivers and bad governments the lightest things swim at top.”

The Economist this year named kakistocracy its word of the year after reflecting on President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R–Fla.) for attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health and human services secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Those picks are indeed among the most noteworthy events of the year—and a reflection of the sorts of people who probably shouldn’t be in power.

The U.S. House released a report, which alleged “substantial evidence that Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” Gaetz denies any wrongdoing and has withdrawn from consideration, but please don’t expect meritocracy.

Trump says that he will let anti-vaccine activist and apparent victim of a brain worm, RFK Jr., “go wild” on public health. He presumably will also let Gabbard—the former Democratic representative known for her unusual views about Syria and Russia—go crazy on U.S. intelligence. Whatever their charms, it’s odd to see them float to the top.

Some MAGA readers might already be penning dissatisfied letters to the editor, but they should know I wouldn’t let Democrats off the hook. President Joe Biden’s performance in the June presidential debate was one of the most shocking political events in modern history, as his bumbling, rambling, dazed, and confused performance reminded Americans of his steep decline—and, of course, led to a futile switcheroo of presidential candidates.

Anyone who has watched elderly loved ones lose their mental acuity will have sympathy for Biden, but what explains his family and advisers for allowing him to run again—and for allegedly concealing matters from the public? A recent Wall Street Journal investigation alleges White House aides developed a complex system of workarounds, which date back to the early stages of his administration. They deny such declines or protections, but nothing shouts kakistocracy more than having the world’s most-powerful government “run” this way.

Here in California, our top elected official is clearly in control of his faculties and is unquestionably a very smart man, but that makes it even more unconscionable that he would continue to pass laws that kill the jobs of working-class Californians by, say, dramatically boosting the minimum wage for fast-food workers—and then trying to gaslight us about the resulting job situation. These are not the marks of a suitable leader.

And Gov. Gavin Newsom’s special legislative session to deal with supposed oil-company “price gouging” seemed reflective of everything wrong with our system. He has to know his own policies (taxes, special gas formations, efforts to ban fossil fuels) rather than corporate greed are the cause of our nationally high gas prices. But he went on with the charade, anyway. Kakistocracy apparently is bipartisan.

One of the funniest aspects of the Gaetz report was it claimed the former rep “acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House.” Anyone who follows the goings-on in that legislative body—from the rantings and petty rivalries of its most-unhinged members to the latest fracas over a government “shutdown”—might conclude it’s fairly hard to discredit Congress.

Was there good political news from 2024? Sure. The same California voters who routinely elect their “least suitable or competent citizens” can behave quite well when it comes to ballot questions. Voters rejected an effort to expand local rent controls, a measure to further boost the minimum wage and one to make it easier for cities to pass housing bonds.

The upcoming year might show whether America really fits the above definition or is even a plutocracy, but I suspect this all simply reaffirms the nature of government. We should just accept H.L. Mencken’s timeless observation: “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.” Do try to have a happy New Year despite it all.

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