The expert’s claim to authority is his superior knowledge and skill in his particular sphere. Second-guessing him calls into question his legitimacy as an expert, and thus his claim on authority.
The solutions to this were straightforward: make it socially and intellectually uncouth to challenge experts (by labelling such questioning as “misinformation”, “conspiracy theory”, “anti-science”, or the like), and stop providing the layman with the information and thinking skills necessary for him to form and articulate such challenges.
— Avery Easton