>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.
>he thinks im gonna read all this
>>25472819>repentant Trump voter>Gets tricked by a confidence man>Instead of taking responsibility decides everything needs to burn to the ground and replaced by a strong man to tell him what to doMany such cases
