Singapore in transition: economic change and political consequences

With Lee Hsien Loong's ascendancy to the prime ministership of Singapore, there has been a general recognition that whilst this heralded a change in generational leadership, little expectation exists that any fundamental political change will take place. This paper argues that, rather than examining the current actors for signs of political change, economic changes within the Singaporean economy are a more fruitful source of political change analysis. By political change the author does not mean any diminishing of the dominance of the People's Action Party, but a change in the ‘type’ of political actors that will be required to ensure Singapore's future economic success.