kludgeocracy

From kludge +‎ -ocracy. Coined by Steven M. Teles in 2012.

kludgeocracy (countable and uncountable, plural kludgeocracies)

1. (uncommon, informal) A government characterized by complex, inefficient, and ad-hoc solutions to problems.
   • 2012 December, Steven M. Teles, “Kludgeocracy: The American Way of Policy”, in New America Foundation‎, archived from the original on 2024-07-15:

     Neither party is immune from the costs of policy complexity: the interests of both liberals and conservatives are ill-served by kludgeocracy.

   • 2014 April 20, John Sweeney, “Fixes: Too many cooks spoil the soup and too many chiefs spoil the schools”, in Sunday News Journal, 39th year, number 16, Wilmington, Del., page A16, column 4:

     Teles suggests that our kludgeocracies be scrubbed clean of regulatory language that obscures rather than enlightens.

   • 2016, Ronald R. Sims, William I. Sauser, Sheri K. Bias, editors, Transforming Government Organizations: Fresh Ideas and Examples from the Field, Information Age Publishing, page 193:

     Despite the complexity and hidden difficulties in our “kludgeocracy,” much can be achieved. By adopting the best principles and practices to be learned from great leaders, today’s public sector leaders can themselves do great work and make great contributions to the nation.

   • 2017, Brink Lindsey, Steven M. Teles, The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality, Oxford University Press, page 7:

     Mike Lind may not agree with much of what is in this book, but his support for Steve's writing on kludgeocracy is a major influence on this book’s argument.

   • 2023, Ranvijay Upadhyay, Ethics Integrity And Aptitude in Governance, S. Chand Publishing, page 113:

     The institutional separation in Unites States between executive and legislature is also accused of emergence of “kludgeocracy,” but the phenomenon is equally true in administrative practices of developing nations like India.