I just now realized hack has an opposite in kludge, both originating in programming (but surely hack has a story before modern programming, in hard world)

there’s also called Kludgenomics that, once you realize kludge is contrary to hack, you also undestrand what is the problem of government messed up by too many rules badly designed, or designed with the purpose of being quick, badly designed fix. For exampe see this https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/kludgeocracy-in-america

it all comes from reading Robin Hanson on Paternalism as a way to force rules on masses that were norms of elites. https://www.overcomingbias.com/2020/09/rulesy-folks-push-paternalism.html

this is the first time I get to the bootm of an Hanson post and this is what captured me as the best way to explain why paternalism: “The key idea is that there are many “rulesy” people in the world. (Think of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and Dwight from The Office.) These people specialize in learning of and even creating rules, so that they can then find and reveal violations of these rules around them. This allows them to beat on their rivals, and also to raise their own status. It obviously raises their dominance via the power they wield, but they prefer to be instead seen as prestigious, enforcing rules whose purpose is more clearly altruistic. And what could be more altruistic than keeping people from hurting themselves? “