Governing Singapore: democracy and national development

Abstract

Singapore has its critics, but the city-state has achieved remarkable successes as a result of the voluntary trade-off of certain political rights for economic and social progress. In Governing Singapore, Raj Vasil supports this national bargain. He argues that in Asian new states like Singapore, economic and social under-development, as well as ethnic diversity and divisions make it impossible for Western liberal democracy to function effectively as an instrument of popular rule. The problems of under-development faced by Asian new states since decolonisation and independence continue to prove that democracy alone is not enough - national development and the need to adapt democracy to economic and social realities are equally important.Through reconciling democracy with national development, Singapore has transformed from a poor, backward Third World island into a prosperous and dynamic First World nation. Today Singapore is far better prepared for greater democratisation and increased popular participation.