How Authoritarian Is Singapore? Think Singapore and one might bring to mind a developed city-state that is efficient but somewhat authoritarian.
By Li Yuhui, published: March 25 ， 2015 Depending on which way you compare, Chinese who demand a Singapore model in China will in all likelihood end up in jail. Globally, it is often known for its strict legislation. Singapore scored a dismal 5.88 out of 10 in… Singapore (/ ˈ s ɪ ŋ (ɡ) ə p ɔːr / ()), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia.It lies about one degree of latitude (137 kilometres or 85 miles) north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bordering the Straits of Malacca to the west, the Riau Islands to the south, and the South China Sea to the east. Singapore can be regarded as a pioneer of authoritarian capitalism and part of a new Cold War between two opposed ideological camps. Dear Washington Post Editor, I refer to the 9 July 2013 letter by Mr Jerome Lee [1].
Since authoritarianism is much closer to autocracy than to democracy, the autocracy label for Singapore is therefore not that unreasonable. Singapore, on the other hand, is small and vulnerable, and an authoritarian government is seen as necessary to protect it from being bullied in the neighbourhood. But, as explained in a previous article , this new confrontation is more subtle and ambiguous than that between the United States, the Soviet Union and their allies.
Singapore’s achievements under Lee were indeed remarkable, but the city-state has always been far less authoritarian than other would-be exemplars like China, and all such countries may eventually be forced to choose between political liberalization and economic breakdown. Singapore is widely regarded as an authoritarian state [2].