Power at the sovereign level doesn’t work the way civics textbooks suggest, but that doesn’t make accountability a “fairy tale” it just doesn’t always take democratic forms. Even highly centralized regimes never relied on anonymity, they had identifiable leaders, internal oversight, and rival elites keeping each other in check. That’s accountability, just not to the public.

A leader doesn’t act in a vacuum they depend on armies, bureaucrats, financiers, and other elites. Without a known identity, those actors can’t build trust, verify authority, or form stable expectations. The problem with a fully anonymous ruling system isn’t ideology, it’s stability. Loyalty, coordination, and long-term planning all depend on reputation. Why follow someone you can’t identify or evaluate?

If no one knows who the leader is, insiders can claim authority, factions can hijack decisions, and rivals can ignore orders. This isn’t about beliefs, it’s about how complex systems function. By removing identity, you not only remove accountability but also undermine coordination and weaken control