ch3: how do we decide whats good for society

• Challenges in deciding what's good for society

  • Differing needs and interests
  • Differing priorities
  • Unequal sharing of costs
• Managing trade-offs


  Making a decision between 2 or more things that cannot be obtained at the same time due to limited resources, experiencing the loss of benefits of the unchosen option
• Case study: Cross Island Line (CIL)


  • Originally planned to cut through Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) but environmentalists protested and proposed to change route to skirt around it
  • Final decision was still to cut through, but deeper as to not interfere with the nature reserve
• Skirting route for CIL


  Causes higher travelling costs and longer travelling time
• Trade-offs


  Considered in decision making to come up with decisions that better benefit society by calculating long/short term cost and gains of policies
• Principles shaping governance


  • Having good leadership
  • Anticipating change and staying relevant
  • A stake for everyone, opportunities for all
  • Practising meritocracy
• Good leadership


  Government representatives must be honest and capable, with moral courage and integrity to do what is right even if the decision is unpopular
• Example of good leadership

  • Mr Lim Kim San led construction of 26,000 HDB flats in 3 years
• Low cost HDB flats sold by Mr Lim

  Allowed thousands of Singaporeans to own their own housing instead of living in slums
• Anticipating change and staying relevant


  Government needs to predict challenges in the future and make decisions to overcome them, looking long-term
• Example of anticipating change

  • Singapore government putting aside $5 Billion Coastal and Flood protection Fund to meet challenge of rising sea level
• Singapore government putting aside $5 Billion Coastal and Flood protection Fund


  To ensure rising sea level would not flood the country and destroy properties or harm people
• A stake for everyone, opportunities for all


  Government policies allow citizens to be more involved in voicing out their opinions, deepening their sense of belonging and feeling they have a stake in Singapore's future
• Example of a stake for everyone

  • Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) part of Singapore Together Movement
• Through Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC)


  The government could respond to Singaporeans' needs through policies like providing additional healthcare subsidies for Singaporeans worried of healthcare costs
• Meritocracy


  A system where people are rewarded according to the effort they put in
• Examples of meritocracy


  • EDUSAVE SCHOLARSHIPS for top 10% students
  • EDUSAVE MERIT BURSARY for top 25% students
• Meritocratic society


  Encourages citizens to work hard as their efforts would influence the rewards they get, benefiting society as a whole
• differing needs and interests

  A) similar

  B) differs

  C) differs

  D) fulfillment of needs

  E) diversity

  F) diverse

  G) mutually

  H) exclusive

  I) prevents

  J) government

  K) fulfilling

  L) supportive

  M) preserve

  N) cultural

  O) not be possible

  P) both

  Q) certain group

  R) neglected

  
• WHY IS THIS DIFFERING NEEDS AND INTERESTS A CHALLENGE?

   Society has diverse needs and interests. Some are bound to be mutually exclusive and this prevents the government from fulfilling all of them - Demolition of Bukit Brown Cemetery: some singaporeans were supportive as they wanted the road to be expanded but others wanted to preserve it for cultural reasons. It would not be possible to meet both demands as the choice to preserve or demolish would eventually have to be made thus a certain group of people’s needs and interests would be neglected.
• differing priorities


  each individual has their own priorities
• WHY IS DIFFERING PRIORITIES A CHALLENGE?


  Governments are forced to decide what's good for society. It may be difficult to come up with a criteria of choice that satisfies all segments of society. Also, governments have limited resources to achieve all diverse needs and interests.
• UNEQUAL SHARING OF COST


  When a decision is made, a specific group of society could bear greater negative costs than others 
• WHY IS UNEQUAL SHARING OF COSTS A CHALLENGE?

  People may have the Not-In-My-Backyard syndrome (NIMBY) where they do not want to bear inconvenience for certain developments
• unequal sharing of cost case study: BUILDING EXPRESSWAYS NEAR HDB FLATS

  who benefits? - commuters on the road have lesser traffic

  who pays a greater negative cost? - residents living near expressway are affected by noise and air pollution
• case study of the challenge of unequal sharing of costs: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT


  Ministry of National Development decided that more foreign worker dormitories would be built - but there were complains from some singaporeans in the area that it should not be built near residential areas. Thus, its difficult to implement certain policies as some people may complain due to NIMBY
• Trade off: making a decision between 2 or more things that cannot be obtained at the same time due to limited resources, experiencing the loss of benefits of the unchosen option
• case study : managing trade offs - CROSS-ISLAND LINE (CIL)

  -> it was originally planned to cut through Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) but environmentalists protested and proposed to change route to skirt around it instead. Final decision was still to cut through, but deeper as to not interfere with the nature reserve.

   WHY? : skirting route causes higher travelling costs and longer travelling time
• WHY ARE TRADE-OFFS CONSIDERED IN DECISION MAKING?

  To come up with decisions that better benefit society. Thinking of trade-offs would mean considering & calculating long/short term cost and gains of policies

  E.g Building CIL through CCNR determined cost saving and shorter travelling time.
• Principles shaping governance

  1. Having Good Leadership
  2. Anticipating change and staying relevant
  3. A stake for everyone, opportunities for all
  4. Practising Meritocracy
• Principle shaping governance: HAVING GOOD LEADERSHIP

  government representatives must be honest and capable. They require moral courage and integrity to do what is right even if the decision is unpopular


  E.g Mr Lim Kim San led construction of 26 000 HDB flats in 3 years.
• WHY IS HAVING GOOD LEADERSHIP IMPORTANT?

  It contributes to the good of society as decisions are made based on public interest rather than private interests or popularity reasons

  E.g Low Cost HDB flats sold by Mr Lim allowed thousands of Singaporeans to own their own housing instead of living in slums
• Anticipating change and staying relevant

   government need to predict challenges in the future and make decisions to overcome them * need to look long term

  E.g Singapore government putting aside $5 Billion Coastal and Flood protection Fund to meet challenge of rising sea level
• WHY IS ANTICIPATING CHANGE AND STAYING RELEVANT IMPORTANT?

  to ensure country is well prepared to deal with future challenges

  E.g Singapore government putting aside $5 Billion Coastal and Flood protection Fund to meet challenge of rising sea level to ensure rising sea level would not flood the country and destroy properties or harm people.
• A stake for everyone, opportunities for all

  government policies allow citizens to be more involved in voicing out their opinions this will deepen their sense of belonging - they will feel they have a stake in Singapore’s future

  E.g Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) part of Singapore Together Movement
• WHY IS A STAKE FOR EVERYONE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL IMPORTANT?

  • citizens would feel they are part of the nation ( SOB ) , feel respected as citizens hence more willing to be productive in their work - E.g Through Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) the government could respond to Singaporeans’ needs through policies like providing additional healthcare subsidies for singaporeans worried of healthcare costs.
• Practising Meritocracy

  • Citizens are rewarded based on their abilities and efforts thus encouraged to work harder
• Meritocracy: system where people are rewarded according to effort they put in.
• case study of practising meritocracy

  E.g EDUSAVE SCHOLARSHIPS for top 10% students,  EDUSAVE MERIT BURSARY for top 25% students - provide financial rewards for the better performing students. This money can be used to develop their skills through enrichment classes
• WHY IS PRACTISING MERITOCRACY IMPORTANT?

   Best of citizens can be recognised and developed. A meritocratic society encourages citizens to work hard as their efforts would influence the rewards they get. If everyone in society is willing to work hard, society would benefit as investors would want to invest in that country as it is more likely to be successful.