Incompetence: Lack of competence: Important feature of governors and bureaucrats of all kinds at all times and places in history, so far.

About incompetence there is Peters' Principle: In an institution, everybody rises to his level of incompetence. This seems empirically well-founded, and especially about those institutions that are not effectively controlled by the public or by a more or less objective criterion: Governments and bureaucrats of all kinds.

And in general, e.g. with respect to specialists of all kinds: Everybody knows something, but very few know as much as they believe they do. (See: Falliblism)

In general, and with a few exceptions, the intelligent seek to understand, explain or beautify the world, and the incompetent rule it, whether as bureaucrats, politicians, priests or clergy. The reason is that it is much easier to deceive an average audience for one's own or one's party's benefits than it is to do good science or make great art.