mediocracy

The first recorded use of mediocracy comes from an 1845 Whig Party resolution referring to the administration of President James K. Polk as a “reign of shuffling incompetency and mousing mediocracy” (the Whigs would have won Twitter, apparently). Mediocracy is a blend of mediocre and the Greek root -cracy, meaning “rule,” “government,” or “governing body” (as in democracy and aristocracy). Mediocre comes from the Latin mediocris, meaning “in a middle state” (literally “at middle height”).

Just as an aristocracy is a government run by aristocrats, a mediocracy is a government of leaders considered mediocre—unexceptional or inferior. The defining feature of a mediocracy is that those in power lack the quality or skill that is normally expected of leaders. The term is most often used in political commentary to refer to governments considered incompetent or ineffective. It can also be applied to organizations outside of government, such as businesses, as in After the original leadership team was fired, standards were lowered across the board and this place turned into a mediocracy. 

Mediocracy isn’t only the negative label for unfavorable governments. It is similar to terms like kakistocracy (rule by the worst) and kleptocracy (rule by thieves).

Mediocracy is rarely used. For that reason, it may be mistaken for the word mediocrity, which means “the quality or state of being mediocre.”

What are some other forms related to mediocracy?

• mediocracies (plural)

What are some words that share a root or word element with mediocracy? 

• mediocris
• democracy
• autocracy
• theocracy
• meritocracy

What are some words that often get used in discussing mediocracy?

• mediocre
• mediocrity
• government
• rule
• incompetent
• ineffective
• ill-suited

What are some words mediocracy may be commonly confused with?

• mediocrity

Mediocracy is most commonly used in a political context to criticize a leader or an administration as being unqualified, incompetent, ineffective, or just plain bad.

In the end, any functioning democracy is destined to become a mediocracy.

— James Madison (@Hitchens4) November 7, 2012

The ugly truth. It is so frustrating and hurts this great country. We end up with mediocre white men as President instead of brilliant women running this country. White men are not vetted even close to how women and men of color are vetted which ends up giving us mediocracy.

— yogurtandbluebas (@Momma_DE_) February 9, 2020

South Africa has now officially become a mediocracy. A form of government in which mediocrity rules.

— Gus Silber (@gussilber) December 9, 2015

Is mediocracy used correctly in the following sentence? 

If you want to achieve greatness, you can’t settle for mediocracy.