misgoverns
Leads a nation poorly
Misgoverns means to govern badly or incompetently.
The word implies failure in leadership—through corruption, poor judgment, or neglect of duty: A country misgoverns itself when it tolerates leaders who serve only their own interests.
The noun misgovernment and adjective misgoverned follow naturally.
Faulty conduct of authority
- misruleInept or unjust governing
- ineptitudeLack of ability
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
- blunderingActing with clumsy incompetence
mishandle · botch · muddle · fiasco · shambles · disarray · flounder · incapacity
Abandonment of duty
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
inattention · laxity · remissness · nonfeasance · carelessness · heedlessness · apathy · indifference
Corrupt payment for influence
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
cronyism · kleptocracy · venality · malfeasance · money laundering · extortion · plunder · illicit
Absolute one-person rule
- autocracyRule by one
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- authoritarianismConcentrated, unchecked governmental power
- dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
totalitarianism · repression · subjugation · absolutism · coercion · suppression · censorship · iron fist
Use up carelessly
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- wastefulUsing resources carelessly
- misallocateDistribute to wrong place
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
maladministration
Faulty conduct of authority
- misruleInept or unjust governing
- ineptitudeLack of ability
- bunglingMishandling through incompetence
blundering · mishandle · botch · muddle · fiasco · shambles · disarray · flounder · incapacity · ineffectuality
dereliction
Abandonment of duty
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- disregardWillful lack of attention
oversight · inattention · laxity · remissness · nonfeasance · carelessness · heedlessness · apathy · indifference · slackness
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
nepotism · cronyism · kleptocracy · venality · malfeasance · money laundering · extortion · plunder · illicit · payola
despotism
Absolute one-person rule
- autocracyRule by one
- oppressionUnjust exercise of power
- authoritarianismConcentrated, unchecked governmental power
dictatorship · totalitarianism · repression · subjugation · absolutism · coercion · suppression · censorship · iron fist · domination
squander
Use up carelessly
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- wastefulUsing resources carelessly
- misallocateDistribute to wrong place
inefficiency · stagnation · unproductive · misappropriate · overspend