Power and Populism: What the Singapore Model Means for the Chinese Dream

Abstract

Singapore's political system is sometimes criticized by proponents of liberal democracy as being highly authoritarian and inhibiting of individual freedom. Yet, as the recent 2015 general elections show, Singaporeans have largely consented to such a model as a legitimate social contract between themselves and the government. Given that the Singapore model is widely studied by Chinese officials as a positive pattern for governance, what do the latest results say about the future of the Chinese governing system, and to what extent is the Communist Party able to wield power while catering to populist sentiments, in particular the achievement of the Chinese dream?

Asia-China Knowledge Networks: State of the Field

“…But there is no consensus as to what exactly China learned from Singapore. At the macro level, there are doubts about whether China has understood the Singapore model in its entirety, such as the colonial governance legacy, free market, and limited electoral politics, or is just invoking the city-state as a convenient cover for its own preferred model of strict authoritarian rule and government intervention in the market (Ortmann 2012;Benjamin Ho 2018;Thompson and Ortmann 2018). In fact, a Chinese scholar with long-term experience in Singapore already pointed out to Chinese readers in 2013 that China tended to overlook Singapore's democratic model, which allows a competitive process for picking qualified candidates in the ruling party (Zheng 2013).…”

Book Reviews for Global Media and China

“…In fact, recent research demonstrates that Chinese officials have been setting their sights on the so-called “Singapore Model” and drawing lessons on how a country can put together authoritarian rule, elections, good governance and diversity (e.g. Ho, 2018; Ortmann & Thompson 2020). To what extent do the developmental experiences of Singapore offer a potential for enhancing the China Model?…”