misgovernment; maladministration
Formal, somewhat literary term for bad governance or administrative failure. Often used in political commentary or historical contexts.
The misgovernment of that era provoked public discontent.
In his speech, he harshly criticized the maladministration of the previous government.
Compound of 弊 (へい, 'evil', 'harm') and 政 (せい, 'government', 'administration'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the idea of harmful governance.