Challenges of Governance in a Complex World, The by Peter Ho

Author:Peter Ho [Ho, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Asian, Political Science, World
ISBN: 9789813231825
Google: pWe-swEACAAJ
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company Pte. Limited
Published: 2017-12-04T06:59:10+00:00

Lecture III

THE PARADOX OF SINGAPORE AND THE DIALECTIC OF GOVERNANCE

LECTURE III

Introduction

Few countries today would be classified as sovereign and independent city states. And rightly so, because their continuing existence is a special challenge.

Cities like Hong Kong are sometimes referred to as city states because of their high degree of autonomy, but they are neither sovereign nor independent. The consensus is that only Singapore, together with Monaco and Vatican City, are true independent city states. Even then, only Singapore has all the attributes of a sovereign state, in particular, because it is fully responsible for its own defence. In contrast, Monaco depends on France for its defence, and Vatican City, on Italy.

Looking back in history, there are the famous city states of antiquity, like Athens, Sparta and Carthage. In medieval times, the standout is Venice. For centuries, the city of Venice was a flourishing centre of trade between Europe and Asia, especially in silk, grain and spices. By the 13th century, Venice had become Europe’s second largest city, after Paris, and its most prosperous.

But as former Foreign Minister George Yeo observed:

… Venice never felt invulnerable. She never took her success for granted. It was this sense of insecurity which spurred her on, which kept her guards up, her citizens united and her institutions vital.1

Perhaps the central and most obvious paradox of Singapore is that its national boundaries coincide perfectly with its city limits. And what is more, the fantasy and glamour of Singapore’s global city status often stand in sharp contrast to the insecurities that define its statehood.

Sovereign city states are anomalies, surviving despite their very small size, without natural resource, and surrounded by much larger neighbours. Their existence is a constant struggle with challenges that larger nations with hinterlands and resources do not worry about. They are a paradox, the exceptions that prove the rule that size matters.

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