An essay argues that political systems rest on central guiding principles and that democratic practice tends toward valorizing unfitness for specialized functions; it contrasts natural division of labor and institutional specialization with a tendency to assign public authority broadly, tracing consequences in institutions and public life, invoking classical and modern thinkers and historical examples to show how overextension or abandonment of a regime's principle undermines governance; chapters analyze causes, manifestations, and effects of elevating incompetence in administrative, legislative, and judicial roles and call for greater respect for expertise and specialization.