Breakthrough 2.0: Singaporeans Push For Parliamentary Democracy

Breakthrough 2.0: Singaporeans Push For Parliamentary Democracy
Author: Derek Da Cunha
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 390
Release: 2022-01-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9811227292

Some six decades of socialisation by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has ingrained in a majority of Singaporeans the instinct that it is not unusual to give up certain personal liberties for the greater good as long as the PAP State ensures the material well-being of Singaporeans. The general election of 2020 (GE2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic, put this social compact between the people and the State to the test. Significant job losses, wage cuts, and an erosion of personal wealth — due to measures to counter the pandemic — cut substantially into the PAP popular vote nationally, and resulted in an unprecedented 10 candidates from the opposition Workers' Party (WP) being elected to Parliament. GE2020 confirmed the trend from GE2011, when the WP first made a breakthrough, that Singaporeans will only accept a party in moderate opposition to the PAP. This narrative differs markedly from conventional wisdom.Breakthrough 2.0 explores the aforementioned phenomena. The book analyses critically the issues surrounding parliamentary elections in Singapore. It also focuses on issues not explored by many other observers, namely voter psychology; election processes; and, party branding. A comparative analysis of election practices and processes in other jurisdictions is also employed to determine where parallels can or cannot be drawn with the situation in Singapore.The author has had direct access to personalities across the political parties. Consequently, he utilises primary sources, supported by evidence, in sketching out backstories to events which exposes certain myths that were prevailing in social media in the months running up to GE2020.

Breakthrough

Breakthrough
Author: Derek Da Cunha
Publisher:
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2012
Genre: Elections
ISBN:

Singapore in the Malay World

Singapore in the Malay World
Author: Lily Zubaidah Rahim
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2010-11-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134013973

This new appraisal of their relationship offers groundbreaking new insights into the way in which the Malaysian and Singapore states see both themselves and each other.

Toward a Better Future

Toward a Better Future
Author: Fredriksen Birger
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2008-04-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0821373765

'Toward a Better Future' provides a comprehensive analysis of education development in Singapore since 1965, giving particular attention to the strategic management that has enabled Singapore to transform its education and training system from one similar to that of many Sub-Saharan African countries four decades ago into one of the world's best-performing systems. It is one of a pair of concurrently-published books presenting materials originally developed for a 2006 study tour to Singapore and Vietnam for senior education officials from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Mozambique. The second book, 'An African Exploration of the East Asian Education Experience', presents five country studies, as well as regional, comparative analyses highlighting insights gained during the study tour and putting them in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. Together, the two books aim to foster knowledge exchange between Sub-Saharan African and East Asian countries on good practices in the design and implementation of education policies and programs. By facilitating the cross-country fertilization of ideas between two regions with relatively limited contact in the past, these books fi ll a clear gap in the current literature on development practice in education.

China's Influence and American Interests

China's Influence and American Interests
Author: Larry Diamond
Publisher: Hoover Press
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2019-08-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0817922865

While Americans are generally aware of China's ambitions as a global economic and military superpower, few understand just how deeply and assertively that country has already sought to influence American society. As the authors of this volume write, it is time for a wake-up call. In documenting the extent of Beijing's expanding influence operations inside the United States, they aim to raise awareness of China's efforts to penetrate and sway a range of American institutions: state and local governments, academic institutions, think tanks, media, and businesses. And they highlight other aspects of the propagandistic “discourse war” waged by the Chinese government and Communist Party leaders that are less expected and more alarming, such as their view of Chinese Americans as members of a worldwide Chinese diaspora that owes undefined allegiance to the so-called Motherland.Featuring ideas and policy proposals from leading China specialists, China's Influence and American Interests argues that a successful future relationship requires a rebalancing toward greater transparency, reciprocity, and fairness. Throughout, the authors also strongly state the importance of avoiding casting aspersions on Chinese and on Chinese Americans, who constitute a vital portion of American society. But if the United States is to fare well in this increasingly adversarial relationship with China, Americans must have a far better sense of that country's ambitions and methods than they do now.

Singapore in Global History

Singapore in Global History
Author: Derek Thiam Soon Heng
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2011
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9048514371

This important overview explores the connections between Singapore's past with historical developments worldwide until present day. The contributors analyse Singapore as a city-state seeking to provide an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of the global dimensions contributing to Singapore's growth. The book's global perspective demonstrates that many of the discussions of Singapore as a city-state have relevance and implications beyond Singapore to include Southeast Asia and the world. This vital volume should not be missed by economists, as well as those interested in imperial histor.

Edinburgh Companion to the History of Democracy

Edinburgh Companion to the History of Democracy
Author: Benjamin Isakhan
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Total Pages: 577
Release: 2015-03-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 0748653686

Re-examines the long and complex history of democracy and broadens the traditional view of this history by complementing it with examples from unexplored or under-examined quarters.

Education in Singapore

Education in Singapore
Author: Yew-Jin Lee
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2022-04-06
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9811699828

This edited book is a comprehensive resource for understanding the history as well as the current status of educational practices in Singapore. It is a one-stop reference guide to education and educational issues/concerns here. There are three sections: Part 1 provides a sectorial overview of how education has been organized in this country such as preschool, special needs, primary and secondary, and adult education divisions. In Part 2, contributors critically delve into issues and policies that are pertinent to understanding education here such as underachievement, leadership, language education, assessment, and meritocracy to question what Part 1 might have taken for granted. Part 3 contains the largest number of contributors because it offers a scholarly examination into specific subject histories. This section stands out because of the comparative rarity of its subject matter (history of Physical Education, Art, Music, Geography Education, etc.) in Singapore.

Constitutional Change in Singapore

Constitutional Change in Singapore
Author: Taylor & Francis Group
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2021-08-02
Genre:
ISBN: 9781032082622

Once a ceremonial position modelled after the constitutional monarchy in the United Kingdom, the office of the President of Singapore was transformed from an appointed to an elected one in 1991. As the head of state, but not the head of government, the elected President was to have additional discretionary powers involving the spending of financial reserves, appointment of high-ranking public servants, and certain ministerial powers to detain without trial. In 2016, a constitutional commission was convened to consider further reforms to the office and the elections process. This book explores Singapore's presidency, assessing how well it has functioned, discussing the rationales for an elected presidency, and evaluating the constitutional commission's recommendations for reforms, including the need for minority representation in the office. In doing so, the book provides important reflections on how the constitutional reform process raises crucial questions about the rule of law and the practice of constitutionalism in Singapore.

Transparency and Authoritarian Rule in Southeast Asia

Transparency and Authoritarian Rule in Southeast Asia
Author: Garry Rodan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2004-08-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134308116

This book rejects the notion that the 1997-98 Asian economic crisis was further evidence that ultimately capitalism can only develop within liberal social and political institutions.