chap 3 - challenges in deciding what is good for society

• everything has a good and bad. to do anything, a trade off must be made
• needs: people depend on for survival

  eg: food, water, shelter, money

  interests: people have different interests

  : a want but others may think it is not an interest

  eg: good grades, owning a car
• needs vs interest eg: grab fares

  • grab driver= fares to increase to earn more money
  • grab company = fares to increase but not to high until nobody wants to use grab
  • passengers = fares to decrease so cheaper
• why differing is challenging to gov?

  • cuz to fulfil its duty to care for all citizens, the gov. needs to identify the needs and interest of society and not just a few individuals
• eg for why it is challenging to gov.= HBL

  > support: can bring kid to JB

  : self-directed learning

  : dont need wake up so early

  > dont support: child cannot learn/ focus

  : parents dont have spare time to take care of child

  : dont trust kid at home

  • some singaporeans may pressure gov. to remove HBL, others may pressure gov to keep HBL. This will make the gov. need more time to make a fair decision which may delay outcome and may lead to unhappiness and stress among some groups
• why different priorities to gov is a challenge

  • cuz SG have limited resources and not possible to satisfy all the needs/ interest all the time
  • prioritising one group´s needs over others can cause resentment to the latter and they may protest
• eg of why different priorities to gov. is a challenge= flats in Ulu Pandan

  > in dec 2020, HBD announced that BTO flats would be launch in Ulu Pandan where the Dover forest is located

  > the NSS prioritized, the protection of wildlife, including threatened species

  BUT

  > ppl who want to own their own flats may prioritize the building of BTO flats cuz the building flats there may give them more housing options

  > ppl wants to keep the forest and the forest to be destroyed cannot happen at the same time so it delays the decision of what to do and thus, people dont get their houses
• challenge to gov. cuz ppl who are not willing to bear the cost of something even though its good for them

  • eg: eldercare in woodlands

  > pro-eldercare: oldfolks can receive care in convenient location

  > anti-eldercare: find having elderly around a nuisance

  BUT

  > those benefit would say that the decision is a good one but those who are impacted negatively would argue

  > since there is usually no absolute agreement, it becomes a challenge to determine what is good for the society
• gov. must make trade-off to manage conflicting demands
• what is a good gov?

  • having good leadership

  - traits= listen to others, think carefully abt decisions, decisive n hardworking

  - examples = INTERGRATED RESORTS (IRs)

  = even though singaporeans objected the building of IRs like casinos for the fear of increase in problem of gambling, the gov. went ahead with the plan to create more jobs n improve economy
• what is a good gov?

  • having good leadership

  - why important?

  > manage conflicting demands

  = gov. limited negative impact by implementing levies for singapore PRs to discourage them from entering casinos

  = gamblers can oso apply for self-exclusion/voluntary visit limits

  > positive impacts

  = citizens realise gov. is wise and IRs create jobs for locals to support family and revenues earned can be used to build more infrastructure to serve our needs
• what is a good gov.?

  • anticipating change and staying relevant

  - meaning

  > forward looking

  > pre-rmpt challenges

  > managing short-term n long term tension

  - examples

  > gov. tackles the challenges of rising sea levels by setting aside $5b in 2020 as Coastal and Flood Protection Fund for the construction of sea walls. dykes, barrages and outlet pumps to pump floodwater out into the sea
• what is a good gov.?

  • anticipating change and staying relevant

  - why is it important?

  > manage conflicting demands

  = Singaporeans were angry to the budget because money for immediate needs went to long-term actions that have little impact now. BUT after understanding PM lee´s reason, they became more understanding n support gov. policies
• what is a good gov?

  • anticipating change and staying relevant

  > positive impacts

  = our gov. is able to see the big picture and look out for us so we will have greater appreciation for the gov.
• what is a good gov?

  • providing a stake for everyone

  - meaning

  > citizens have a say in decision making

  > opportunities and benefits for all

  > strengthen belonging to nation

  - example

  > gov. engages citizens through the Singapore Together Movement. This gave partnership opportunities between citizens and gov. to start citizen-led initiatives in areas they care about
• what is a good gov?

  • providing a stake for everyone

  - why important?

  > managing conflicts

  = gov. hears out various perspectives so they can mediate between perspectives/balance trade offs so nobody suffers a disproportionately

  > positive impact

  = greater empathy and willingness to find a middle ground which solves disagreement amicably so Singaporeans will less likely to pretest/cause delays to projects
• what is a good gov.?

  • practicing meritocracy

  -meaning

  > reward base on ability, effort and hard work regardless of race, religion and socio-economic background

  - examples

  > students in gov. n specialized schools are offered awards based on academic performance, character, leadership and learning attitude. ( EAGLES and scholarships)
• what is a good gov?

  • practicing meritocracy

  - why is it important?

  > manage conflicting demands

  = rewards the best and people think it is best and accept if some get more than others

  > positive impacts

  = this systems produce best candidates for jobs in running the country, business so that SG becomes more efficient