Bad political leadership has been the default mode in America for a long time. Expectations are already very low to begin with, yet those already keep being challenged. The media could promote smarter and better choices of candidates. Voters could also choose better candidates, especially during primaries where it matters most. But this does not happen, so we’re stuck with what we’ve got.
People who are more competent go into the private sector. Those who are smarter go in academia or private law. White-collar and other professional salaries have exploded, especially since 2020. A doctor makes $460k/year. If you’re smart, why would you go into government when the private sector has become so lucrative. Government is a dumping ground for people who are mediocre in almost all respects, but with good social skills, personality, and ambition.
It’s as if America is getting smarter and dumber at the same time. The Ideocracy scenario just assumes the latter. On the dumber side: DEI, remedial college math, and lowered educational standards. On the smarter side: post-COVID tech/AI boom, ultra-competitive quant & FAMNG+ hiring, and elite college admissions. So, the issue is not that America lacks smart people, but that the incentives are misaligned as far as leadership is concerned. This ought to be expanded for a longer post.