Chapter 2 (citizenship and governance)

Question 1

What are the different challenges in deciding what is good for society?

Answer 1

• differing needs and interests
• differing priorities
• unequal sharing of costs

Question 2

What is meant by differing needs and interests?

Answer 2

• in a diverse society with different people
• everyone has different needs and interests
• as such people disagree on what is more important

Question 3

What is an example of differing needs and interests?

Answer 3

• transport is a priority of the government
• however, in that there is private and public transport
• people with private vehicles or take private vehicles more frequently would want the government prioritise improving existing road networks
• to make them more efficient
• people with no private vehicle or take public transport more frequently would want the government to prioritise improving public transport sectors
• to make them more convenient, reliable and efficient

Question 4

What is meant by differing priorities?

Answer 4

• people in society have different personal priorities depending on different factors such as:
• socio economic status
• lifestyle
• age group
• family etc

Question 5

What is an example of differing priorities in Singapore?

Answer 5

• survey conducted with singaporeans of differing economic groups
• lower income individuals stated public housing as their top priority
• higher income individuals placed public healthcare as their top priority

Question 6

What do differing priorities show?

Answer 6

• shows that it is difficult for people to agree upon priorities

Question 7

What might differing priorities bring about?

Answer 7

• disagreement about how much resources should be allocated to different sectors
• disharmony and disagreements in society

Question 8

What is meant by unequal sharing of costs?

Answer 8

• different groups of people bearing different impacts (costs) of a decision a government makes
• some may be impacted greatly while others not so much

Question 9

What is an example of unequal sharing of costs and how does it show unequal sharing of costs?

Answer 9

• building an expressway
• most in society will benefit
• however, people living near to it will be affected by the noise
• whether from construction or from day to day operations of the expressway

Question 10

How does the government make decisions based on these factors?

Answer 10

• decide based on what benefits the masses (most of society)

Question 11

How does the government manage conflicting demands?

Answer 11

• understanding trade-offs
• decision-making in a representative democracy

Question 12

Why are trade-offs needed in society?

Answer 12

• due to limited resources, the government has to forgo something in exchange for another
• as it is impossible to have both things at the same time
• as such, the government needs to prioritise
• and decide what is more important

Question 13

What is an example of trade-offs in Singapore?

Answer 13

• in 2014 when the government had to acquire land to build the thomson east coast line
• trade off was that the land could no longer be used for other purposes

Question 14

What is a representative democracy?

Answer 14

• representatives of the government who make decisions on behalf of citizens
• they are elected by citizens

Question 15

What needs to be done to manage conflicting demands and interests in terms of legislature?

Answer 15

• laws need to be made, implemented and interpreted by different organs of the government

Question 16

What are the principles of governance?

Answer 16

• having good leadership
• anticipating change and staying relevant
• providing a stake for everyone
• practising meritocracy

Question 17

What makes a good leader?

Answer 17

• capable and honest
• needed to maintain stability by making right decisions
• incorruptible
• will win the support of people and investors to invest in the country
• moral courage
• to make unpopular decisions that have long term benefits

Question 18

Why is good leadership important?

Answer 18

• government can ensure social and economic development of a country
• through good decisions that may not be popular

Question 19

What is an example of good leadership?

Answer 19

• ERP system was introduced to reduce traffic congestion
• singaporean drivers were unhappy with increasing cost
• but government knew it was important to reduce traffic congestion
• help roads run smoothly and efficiently
• economy stays productive

Question 20

How does anticipating change and staying relevant benefit a country?

Answer 20

• Singapore able to remain stable
• we can anticipate problems before it happens and stay ahead of competitors
• minimises risk of vulnerability

Question 21

How does anticipating change and staying relevant relate to good governance?

Answer 21

• the government needs to manage tensions among different citizens with different needs and interests
• along with remaining forward looking

Question 22

What is an example of anticipating change and staying relevant and how does it benefit the country?

Answer 22

• building of integrated resorts (MBS and Sentosa)
• increase tourism in Singapore
• provides new employment opportunities
• contributes to economic growth

Question 23

What were some problems associated with the building of IRs in Singapore and how was it managed?

Answer 23

• consequences of gambling
• measures were taken to lessen the impact of gambling
• National Council Of Problem Gambling was set up
• to conduct public education and providing counselling services to gamblers and their families

Question 24

What does providing a stake for everyone look like?

Answer 24

• considering the concerns raised by Singaporeans
• allowing them to have a voice in the country’s development

Question 25

What does providing a stake for everyone cause?

Answer 25

• singaporeans will feel valued
• greater sense of belonging
• support government decisions
• allows for good governance
• they will feel motivated to contribute to singapore
• e.g. singapore’s survival, good progress, development

Question 26

What is an example of how the government provides a stake for everyone?

Answer 26

• our Singapore conversations
• where Singaporeans share their views, hopes and dreams for Singapore