I think over the last few decades the US population has been so ill-educated that we've literally lost the ability to self-govern.

It takes informed voters to put the right people in office. The media conglomerates have been coopted by the leftists, and now the propaganda has become the reality for all of the average voters. They seek nothing other than what CNN says, and feel they're more educated than most of their friends who NEVER watch any "news". So they brag about the lies they've been told as if it is extra and special information.