The formation of authoritarian regime in Singapore: a historical approach

Abstract

This research studied the formation of authoritarianism in Singapore. The contributing factors of the authoritarianism formation was deliberated through historical approach by including the political events, social events, economy, and international events. There are three research aims: (1) indicating the variables of the formation of Singapore authoritarian regime through a macro-historical perspective; (2) establishing a database on the Internet for Singapore political studies; (3) laying a foundation for future studies in authoritarianism of other countries. The research showed: (1) that the political background and events contribute to the formation of authoritarian regime in Singapore, i.e., the British colonial rule, independence movement, and the threat of Communism and Communalism; (2) that the economy is complementary to the authoritarian regime, i.e., a virtuous cycle: the former legitimize the latter while the latter enhance the former; (3) that the social and the international events are both consolidating the authoritarian political system in Singapore.