Unfortunately, representative democracy is what enables such grotesque outcomes as are seen in deeply corrupt nations like the USA. Ordinary people know nothing of importance, and understand even less. This means that unscrupulous individuals can exploit the great mass of people by means of feeding them with easy-to-remember soundbites and simple-minded lies. That's precisely why populism has swept the globe, driven ever onward by the mass media organizations that rely on endless sensationalism in order to grab monetizable eyeballs. This toxic combination of foolish voters and sensation-generating media is why our collapse is rushing toward its inevitable conclusion. Creatures like Trump and Musk aren't the problem; they are merely symptoms of an approach to governance that is wholly unfit for purpose.