Politics anywhere is informed by at least three variables: collective self-interest, ideological commitment, and a deep story. The first two variables are self-explanatory. The third is enigmatic. According to the eminent American sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, a deep story is an emotionally validated account of a person’s place in a disputed scheme of things. “A […]

[Content Warning: Mental Health, Depression, Suicide] “I got diagnosed with depression. I also couldn’t see my (very few) friends nor my therapist since they were deemed to be “non-essential.” While I had therapy online, it definitely did not have the same impact as my usual face-to-face sessions.” said one participant of our online poll. Indeed, […]

Amartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998, recently published Home in the World: A Memoir. It is strong on autobiographical details, such as the years he spent at Rabindranath Tagore’s Viswa-Bharati educational institution in India’s Santiniketan, his undergraduate years at Calcutta’s premier Presidency College, and his time at Trinity College, Cambridge, whose […]

The sudden change in the succession plans of the Singapore leadership draws attention to the role of unpredictability in politics. A measure of unpredictability must be factored into the functioning of a healthy democratic system. By democracy, I mean the degree and effectiveness of popular participation in and contribution to the formulation of national policies…..

SINGAPORE: In a surprise announcement on Thursday (Apr 8), Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Heng Swee Keat removed himself as successor to the current Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong. By stating he would no longer be head of the fourth-generation (4G) team of leaders in Government, Mr Heng has thrown the question of who will…..

When I was conducting research for my PhD dissertation, I had to talk to many ordinary Singaporeans. The moment people I approached found out that I wanted extended chats with them on politics and societal issues, many retreated, indicating that they had nothing to say on these topics. Quite a few did agree. But I…..

AirAsia and Singapore Airlines are already blazing a trail on how to do just that while flying remains in cold storage for most travellers, says Institute of Policy Studies’ Faizal Yahya. SINGAPORE: We will fly again. It just might happen much later for most of us, in 2024 and beyond. Despite the roll out of…..

Last week, an Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) report found that seven in 10 of the 2020 World Values Survey’s (WVS) 2,000-odd respondents in Singapore favoured placing strict limits on the number of foreigners entering the country for work. This protectionist attitude to immigration is prevalent not only in Singapore. In fact, just under 60…..

More than three in five Singaporean respondents polled in an IPS study released last month believed that protecting the environment should enjoy priority over economic growth. Younger, more educated and more affluent respondents were more likely to feel that way. By recognising the existential threat that climate change poses to Singapore, the educated and affluent…..

SINGAPORE: Budget 2021 has adopted a more focused approach towards the most impacted sectors of the economy. For example, S$870 million was provided to support the aviation sector, including a 10 per cent landing charge rebate for all scheduled passenger flights landing in Singapore for airlines, and a 50 per cent rebate on rental paid…..

SINGAPORE: The ongoing public debates over Dover Forest represents growing public interest in nature conservation and the protection of biodiversity. It also reveals the uncomfortable fact that in land-scarce Singapore, planning for the needs of the population and economy can come with potential trade-offs. But as Minister for National Development Desmond Lee underscored in a…..

The final day of the Singapore Perspectives 2021: Reset conference was held on 25 January. It was a hybrid event with around 250 participants at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom, with safe management measures implemented to ensure the safety of our attendees. The in-person plenary sessions were also broadcast to an online audience of […]