The problem with democracy is the dunning-kruger effect more than the principle-agent problem. People think highly-complex problems are obvious and easy. They care more about big sweeping theory than they do about local technocracy.
The idea that anti-intellectualism even exists is testament to this.
Gonna say something that would likely be downvoted but a functioning society does not need democracy. A governing body needs legitimacy because it's power springs from the people, but democracy and voting are not necessarily requisite.
e.g. China/CCP (which isn't really communism, but definitely not democratic).
The idea that anti-intellectualism even exists is testament to this.