Laws that explain how an incompetent person can run for president

 Laws of systemantics that explain how an incompetent person like Kamala Harris can run for president:

The Peter Principle

The Peter Principle, developed by Dr. Laurence J. Peter, states that in a hierarchical organization, employees tend to rise to their "level of incompetence". 

corollaries:

(1) In time, eerypost tend to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duries.

(2) Work is accomplished and outcomes are achieved by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence. But the incompetent leaders get the credit.

This occurs because:

Competent employees are often promoted based on their performance in their current role, not necessarily their ability to perform in the higher position.

Once an employee reaches a position where they are incompetent, they are no longer promoted further.

While not a law, this principle describes a common organizational pattern that can lead to incompetent individuals in higher positions.

Peter's Placebo

An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance

The Dilbert Principle

The Dilbert Principle, coined by Scott Adams, is closely related to the Peter Principle but takes a slightly different approach:

It states that companies tend to systematically promote their least competent employees to management positions, particularly middle management.

The rationale behind this is to limit the damage these incompetent individuals can do by removing them from positions where they might interfere with the actual productive work of the company.

This principle assumes that the majority of real, productive work in a company is done by people lower in the power ladder, while those in management don't actually contribute significantly to the workflow.

Putt's Law

Putt's Law is another relevant concept in systemantics:

It states that "Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do, do not manage and those who manage what they do, do not understand."

This law highlights the disconnect that can occur between technical expertise and management in organizations, potentially leading to situations where incompetent individuals end up in leadership positions.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

Although not strictly a law of systemantics, this psychological principle is highly relevant:

It states that individuals with low ability at a task often overestimate their ability.

This overconfidence can lead incompetent individuals to believe they are highly qualified for positions beyond their capabilities.

In the context of running for president, this effect could explain why some candidates with limited qualifications might genuinely believe they are suitable for the role.

The Law of Crappy Systems

This principle from systemantics states:

Complex systems that work invariably evolved from simpler systems that worked.

A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.

You have to start over with a working simple system.

In the context of political systems:

The complexity of modern political processes may allow less qualified candidates to navigate the system successfully.

The system's complexity can obscure a candidate's lack of competence from voters.

The Fundamental Law of Administrative Workings (F.L.A.W.)

This principle states:

Things are what they are reported to be.

The real world is what is reported to the system.

Applied to presidential campaigns:

A candidate's perceived competence may be more important than their actual competence.

Effective marketing and media management can create a perception of competence that may not align with reality.

The Systems Delusion

This concept suggests:

People tend to believe that systems work.

There's an inherent trust in established processes, even when they may be flawed.

In the context of presidential elections:

Voters might assume that the electoral system naturally filters out incompetent candidates.

This misplaced trust could allow less qualified individuals to progress further in the process than they otherwise might.

Addressing the Issue

To mitigate these systemic tendencies:

Implement more rigorous vetting processes for presidential candidates.

Improve voter education on candidate qualifications and the responsibilities of the presidency.

Encourage critical thinking and fact-checking among the electorate.

Reform campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics.

While these principles don't guarantee that incompetent individuals will become presidential candidates, they help explain how systemic factors can sometimes allow it to happen. The key is to recognize these tendencies and work to improve the system to better serve its intended purpose.