by spreading power too thinly among different parts of government
by wasting taxpayer money and getting rich in the process
by placing unqualified people into public offices
by refusing to spend money on public works or repairs

The Warlord Era (simplified Chinese: 军阀时代; traditional Chinese: 軍閥時代; pinyin: Jūnfá shídài, 1916–1928) was a period in the history of the Republic of China when control of the country was divided among former military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions, which were spread across the mainland regions ...