(Issue 1) Chapter 2: How do we decide what is good for society?

Question 1

Differing needs and interests

Answer 1

• Have differing needs and interests because different circumstances they face even if same stage of life
• Eg. the needs of car owners are different from the needs of those taking public transport. car owners want government to focus on improving road network system. public transport people want government to focus on providing better and more buses and MRTs
• Singapore got limited resources, managing different needs and interests require complex decision-making
• decision may be based on whether benefit majority, cost effectiveness of decision, long term and short terms needs consideration

Question 2

Differing priorities

Answer 2

• priorities differ because different point in time see different things as important in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life
• Eg.priorities of different income groups are different. lower income group care more about public housing. higher income group care about job security.
• differing priorities affect resource allocation to meet needs
• challenging for people to agree on what is needed most in society. people want their needs to be met, dont care about others.
• different period of lives (student, old man)

Question 3

Unequal sharing of costs

Answer 3

• challenge in deciding who should bear the costs
• when decision made based on what is good for the society, some individuals or groups will bear greater costs than others
• Eg. expressways and MRT lines built to improve transport. infrastructure benefits general public but those whose homes are near the construction sides would have to bear with the noise and the dust.
  -> Residents living near expressways bear a larger cost, in terms of higher noise levels, compared to those living further
• Although people generally welcome improvements, they do not want the inconveniences associated with the improvements.
• Eg. Not In My Backyard syndrome (NIMBY)
• Handling conflicts of costs challenging because Singapore got limited resource and size, result in tensions and unhappiness

Question 4

Managing trade-offs

Answer 4

• different groups of people got differing needs
• government need to understand varied perspectives before making a decision
• Eg. in 2014, gov had to make decision to acquire land previously used for residential and commercial purposes to build thomson-east coast line.
  -> When fully operational in 2024, MRT line expected to serve 500 000 commuters daily.
• but also means that the land can no longer be used fot recreation or industries in the future
• to plan for future, need to identify a set of criteria first, not possible to meet the needs of every group in society because needs are diverse
• Eg. Cost-effectiveness of decision, long-term and short-term needs and consideration, benefit majority
• limited resources, involve making trade-off, benefit one group more than the other
• considerations have to be made on how to address the interests/priorities of groups that bear the greater cost of burden