Select the most appropriate one-word substitution for the given group of words. 

A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.

Kakistocracy

The most appropriate one-word substitution for a state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens is kakistocracy.

• Ochlocracy is a government ruled by the mob or populace.
• Plutocracy is a government ruled by the wealthy.
• Autocracy is a government ruled by one person.

The word kakistocracy is derived from the Greek words kakos, meaning "bad", and kratos, meaning "rule". It is a form of government in which the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens are in power. In kakistocratic societies, the laws and policies of the government are often made in the interests of the few, at the expense of the many.