Political Legitimacy in Singapore

The long and successful marriage between high capitalism and modern authoritarianism in the case of Singapore poses a legitimacy puzzle. While the authoritarian regime has enjoyed and continues to enjoy broad-based support, the depth of its legitimacy appears to be shallow. This puzzle is generally explained by the primacy of an exchange relation between the regime and the people where the regime provides security and prosperity in return for legitimacy. Although the regime and the people are bound by mutual interests, they do not share a common good. This article argues that institutionalization of market-based compensation for ministers and top civil servants in the case of Singapore entrenches instrumental rationality and elitism, which reinforces the exchange relation between the regime and the people. While the relationship is stable, it requires constant attention by the regime to the people's perceptions of being disadvantaged, which if left unaddressed could weaken the legitimacy of the regime.