The most common error, or lie, in Washington politics is that things have gone as bad as they have only because of the turpitude or ineptitude. This falsehood is peddled and believed in service of the argument: We will do what the last people couldn’t or wouldn’t do because we are more public-spirited or smarter or both.

John Kerry made this argument on the Iraq War: It was a good idea, just ineptly handled. This was Barack Obama’s argument on governing a divided country: We can all be united if good smart people are put in charge. This was Donald Trump’s argument on everything: The people in charge are stupid and corrupt. I am brilliant. I alone can fix it. Easily.