Kakistocracy
Etymology
From the Greek "kakistos," the superlative of "kakos" (bad), meaning worst, joined to "-kratia," rule. First attested in English in 1644 in a sermon by Paul Gosnold, it is the direct antonym of aristocracy, rule by the best.
noun · /kak-ih-STOK-ruh-see/
Government by the least qualified, most unscrupulous, or worst people.
What it names
A precise and biting handle for the specific fear that a system is not merely flawed but is actively selecting for incompetence and vice at the top.
Example
When every senior post went to a loyal fool while experts were purged, observers stopped calling it mismanagement and started calling it a kakistocracy.
Related idea
Sharper than the neutral oligarchy, which merely names rule by a few; kakistocracy makes a moral judgment, insisting those few are the very worst the society has to offer.