Weve known for a long time that men especially rich white men are held to different standards than everyone else, but never has the difference been so nakedly clear.

There are now two court jesters leading two of the worlds major democracies: Boris Johnson , a known fabulist considered charming for running late and having mussy hair, just became the prime minister of Great Britain. And here in the U.S., President Donald Trump is a former reality TV star, accused sexual assaulter and known scam artist.

Could you imagine a woman or man of color getting away with any of that?

Female politicians cant make mistakes with their emails, DNA tests or knowledge of world affairs or economics. A black male politician couldnt even wear a tan suit or hoist a latte without turning heads. None of these people can lie repeatedly and get away with it.

But here we are, supposedly in an era of progress when it comes to gender and race, watching these buffoons land the highest offices in the world.

Basic gender theory explains a lot of this: Men, particularly straight, white wealthy ones, are expected to be competent in male-dominated arenas like politics and business. Even when they screw up, that expectation holds, said Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson, a management professor at the University of Colorado who specializes in the intersection between leadership and diversity.

Youre starting with a baseline assumption that he knows what hes doing, so whatever hes doing must be thoughtful or strategic, she said.

Women, on the other hand, are expected to be warm but not particularly competent. Any strange behavior confirms that she was incompetent all along, according to Dr. Johnson.

With Boris Johnson and Trump, though, theres another phenomenon at play, she said. These guys have built up something called idiosyncratic credit.

Its a term from sociology that refers to the credibility conferred on someone based on meeting certain societal norms. In Trump and Johnsons case, theyre white men who fit the leader stereotype.

Thanks to their maleness, their whiteness, an Oxford accent (in Johnsons case), or money (in Trumps case, and to a lesser extent, Johnsons), these men have already built up a certain amount of credibility. That credibility allows them to deviate from other social norms like telling the truth or getting through the day without publicly insulting someone.