Chapter 3, How do we decide what is good for society?

Question 1

Challenges in deciding what is good for the society

Answer 1

1. Differing needs and interests
2. Differing priorities
3. Unequal sharing of costs

Question 2

Differing needs and interests

Answer 2

• There are generally 2 types of needs. People in society often agree on their basic needs for survival, such as the need for water, food and shelter.
• On the other hand, needs for well-being vary among individuals.
• Interests refer to things that are directly related to the fulfillment of needs.
• Individuals have different needs and interests which cannot be assumed to be similar across different groups of people in society.
• A government needs to identify the needs and interests of a society as a whole and not merely those of an individual. This is important if they want to carry out their roles and function effectively.
• For example, in 2020, as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, students in Singapore began to engage in home-based learning (HBL) which requires the use of laptops or tablets. While the policy allows students to benefit from both in-school and home-based modes of learning, citizens views on HBL have been positive and negative. HBL days provides students with opportunities to learn independently and to be more self-directed in their learning. At the same time, there are concerns over how supportive home environments are for learning.

Question 3

Differing priorities

Answer 3

• It is challenging to decide which needs and interests are to be addressed, as there are different priorities among people and limited resources.
• In Singapore, land is needed for various purposes like education and housing. Given the limited land area, it is crucial that land use is optimised so that the current and future needs of the people are met. The elderly living in the area with medical needs would like a hospital to be built. However, citizens living in the same area would prefer a school to be built.
• An example is a citizen engagement exercise became known as “Our Singapore Conversation” (OSC) in 2012. They reflect some of the hopes Singaporeans have to improve our Singapore society. One key aspiration was a Singapore that is affordable to live in. Some voiced out that housing, healthcare, transport, and daily essentials should be affordable for all Singaporeans especially the lower income. Parents of school going children would likely want more resources invested in education. On the other hand, the elderly would prefer more resources to keep healthcare affordable to meet their medical needs.
• Given that society has limited resources, the government must decide which priorities are more urgent and important for that period. In doing so however, the government may not be able to meet all the demands of the society.

Question 4

Unequal sharing of costs

Answer 4

• Decisions on how to address the various needs and interests of people may lead to varying impact different groups of people. While a decision may benefit society in general, it can have negative impact on certain groups of people. When a decision is being made, some individuals or groups will bear greater costs than others.
• For example, on 1 June 2020, the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Manpower announced that more dormitories would be built to improve the living standards of foreign workers in the construction sector. Given Singapore’s land constraints, some of these dormitories would be located near residential areas. This news was met with mixed reactions from Singaporeans. Residents who will stay near the workers dormitories complain their property value will drop, noise and hygiene levels may also drop. The society is not against the building of workers dormitories. But they prefer if they are located further from their location.
• When experiencing an unequal sharing of costs, residents will prefer if it is not in their backyard.

Question 5

Managing trade-offs

Answer 5

• A trade-off involves making a decision between two or more things that cannot be obtained at the same time due to limited resources. This means that having more of one thing would result in having less if another.
• Due to the limited amount of resources available, there is a need to make choices about how to make the best use of these resources. This will ensure more people are able to gain the most benefits from these decisions.
• For example, In January 2013. The Singapore government announced plans to build the Cross Island Line (CRL) as Singapore’s eighth Mass Rapid System (MRT) line. The CRL was proposed to pass through and run under the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
• The CRL is projected to serve 600,000 commuters per day, increasing to over 1 million in the longer term. The CRL will have the highest number of interchange stations, with almost half the stations on the line linked to existing rail stations.
• Environmentalists who see the environment as a more important need were concerned that the Bukit Timah Stretch will cut through part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and MacRitchie Reservoir, hence damaging fragile eco-systems and harm wildlife. However, supporters of the MRT line were concerned that skirting around the reserve will cost $2 billion more taxpayers money to construct. They also saw the MRT Line as a need to reduce travel time between the east and west of Singapore. To address the concerns, the government conducted a 2 year research to assess the environmental impact. They decided in 2019 to choose the direct route as it will lower cost by $2 billion and a shorter distance will conserve the environment through lower energy consumption.

Question 6

Principles shaping governance

Answer 6

1. Having good leadership
2. Anticipating change and staying relevant
3. A stake of everyone, opportunities for all
4. Practising Meritocracy

Question 7

Having Good Leadership

Answer 7

• To ensure our country’s stability and progress, leaders must be honest, capable and incorruptible. They must be courageous enough to make the right decisions for the country, even if these decisions prove to be difficult.
• For example, during COVID, in 2020 to prevent the spread of the disease, the COVID-19 (Temporary measures) Act was imposed, it requires people to wear a mask whenever they are outdoors and to keep a safe distance of about 2m from one another when they are outside. There is limited access to amenities such as supermarkets to ensure that there is a lesser chance of spreading the virus. These measures made the people in Singapore uncomfortable and were not used to the changes in their everyday life. However, the government still imposed this measure to ensure the safety and the health of its citizens despite it being uncomfortable or them. hence having good leadership

Question 8

Anticipating Change and Staying relavent

Answer 8

• By being forward-looking and taking sound actions early, the government can minimize threats and maximize opportunities for the people of Singapore.
• One example that illustrations this principle is Singapore’s effort to tackle the challenge of rising sea levels.
• In 2019, during the National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the impact climate change in Singapore. He informed Singaporeans about the government taking early and vital action to prepare the country for rising sea levels caused by climate change.
• In 2020, a budget of $5 billion was set aside for the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund to help the country meet the significant risks of rising sea levels.
• If Singapore only have 10 years to solve the problem, the government will not have enough time and resources to do it. By tackling a 50-100 year problem now, they can implement a 50- 100 year affordable solution to the problem.

Question 9

A stake for everyone, opportunities for all

Answer 9

• Providing a stake for everyone and opportunities for all entails gives citizens a say in decision-making, and are willing to be involved in promoting the good of society.
• One example of a government initiative that illustrates this principle is the engagement with citizens through the Singapore Together movement.
• Launched in June 2019, Singaporeans are encouraged to partner with the government and one another to shape and act on their shared future in areas they care about. This can be through partnership opportunities or government support for citizen-led initiatives.
• The Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) series was part of the larger Singapore Together movement. They ran from June to September 2020.
• They involved over 16,900 Singaporeans from different backgrounds, languages and experiences who expressed their hopes for how Singapore can emerge stronger from COVID-19 pandemic.
• When citizens feel that they have a stake in Singaporean’s future, they develop a greater sense of belonging and become more willing to be involved in working towards the good of society.
• Therefore, opportunities are created to encourage Singaporeans to share their views on policies and decision-making

Question 10

Practising meritocracy

Answer 10

• Meritocracy refers to a system that distributes opportunities and rewards based on merit.
• People are rewarded according to the effort they put in rather than factors such as race, religion or socio-economic background.
• For example, the Edusave Good Progress Award is given to the top 10% of each school’s level and course in terms of improvement in academic performance and have demonstrated good conduct.
• For example, the Edusave Scholarship is given to students who are within the top 10% of each school’s level and course in terms of academic performance and have demonstrated good conduct.
• When people are rewarded based on their abilities and effort, they are encouraged to work hard.