The Dunning-Kruger effect  "is the phenomenon wherein people who have little knowledge think that they know more than others who have much more knowledge." John Scalzi alludes to this phenomenon in his scathing (and very funny) discussion of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's elections.

(He also manages to fit in my all-time favorite management rule, the Peter Principle, which is that, in any organization, an employee will tend to rise to his or her level of incompetence.)

The rant makes delicious reading, even if you don't have any stake (or care about) the SFWA.