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 authoritarianism.
Despite this, populist movements, fueled by prejudice and misinformation, rarely solve these problems and instead elevate leaders who are profoundly unqualified to govern. The result is a kakistocracy, where corruption and ineptitude become routine. Hanania’s exploration spans the globe, examining the leadership of figures including Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, and Viktor Orbán, as well as events in countries such as Sri Lanka, Romania, South Korea, and Argentina. He discusses the ways in which the rise of populism is related to resurgent authoritarianism and why alliances between populists in the West and authoritarians abroad are based in shared values and interests.
Drawing on political science, economics, and sociology, Kakistocracy confronts the failures of the Trump-era GOP, revealing how scams, institutional erosion, and corruption are inevitable in a party that embraces populism. It also shows why similar movements are on the rise around the world and investigates what elites can do to respond to populism’s more rational critiques of mainstream institutions while still fighting back against it.