Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster

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 co...