Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:15:56.033Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Complementary Institutions in Authoritarian Regimes: The Everyday Politics of Constituency Service in Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2016

Elvin Ong
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Recent political science research has suggested that autocrats adopt a variety of institutions such as nominally democratic elections and ruling parties to buttress authoritarian durability. In this article I investigate the role of constituency service in an authoritarian regime. I argue that Singapore's Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) is a complementary institution that can serve to mitigate the weaknesses of other authoritarian institutions, thereby entrenching authoritarianism, rather than serve as a form of democratic representation. First, it is a mechanism to gain valuable everyday information about grievances within the population, thereby allowing the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) to formulate policies and effectively target its response. Second, it is a convenient venue to recruit and socialize ordinary party members, thus helping the PAP forestall potential party decay. Symbolically, conducting MPS is a material performance of the hegemonic ideology of elitism between PAP politicians and ordinary Singaporeans.

Keywords

authoritarian regimesconstituency servicepolitical recruitmenthegemonic performanceSingapore
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , December 2015 , pp. 361 - 390
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by the East Asia Institute 

References

Acemoglu, Daron, and Robinson, James A. 2012. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. New York: Crown Publishers.Google Scholar
Askew, Marc. 2008. Performing Political Identity: The Democrat Party in Southern Thailand. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books.Google Scholar
Barr, Michael. 2012. “Splits in the Singapore Elite.” New Mandala. November 2. http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2012/11/02/splits-in-the-singapore-elite(accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Barr, Michael D., and Skrbiš, Zlatko. 2009. Constructing Singapore: Elitism, Ethnicity and the Nation-Building Project. Copenhagen: NIAS Press.Google Scholar
Boix, Carles, and Svolik, Milan W. 2013. “The Foundations of Limited Authoritarian Government: Institutions, Commitment, and Power-Sharing in Dictatorships.” Journal of Politics 75, 2: 300–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brancati, Dawn. 2014. “Democratic Authoritarianism: Origins and Effects.” Annual Review of Political Science 17, 1: 313–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brownlee, Jason. 2007. Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bunce, Valerie J., and Wolchik, Sharon L. 2009. “Defeating Dictators: Electoral Change and Stability in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes.” World Politics 62, 1: 43–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cain, Bruce E., Ferejohn, John A., and Fiorina, Morris P. 1984. “The Constituency Service Basis of the Personal Vote for U.S. Representatives and British Members of Parliament.” American Political Science Review 78, 1: 110–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, Heng Chee. 1976. “The Role of Parliamentary Politicians in Singapore.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 1, 3: 423–441.Google Scholar
Chua, Beng Huat. 1985. “Pragmatism of the People's Action Party Government in Singapore: A Critical Assessment.” Southeast Asian Journal of Social Science 13, 2: 343–354.Google Scholar
Chua, Beng Huat. 2003. “Multiculturalism in Singapore: An Instrument of Social Control.” Race and Class 44, 3: 58–77.Google Scholar
Comber, Leon. 1994. “David Marshall and ‘Meet the People’ - Singapore 1955-56.” Asian Studies Review 18, 2: 105–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crouch, Harold A. 1996. Government and Society in Malaysia. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diamond, Larry. 2012. “The Coming Wave.” Journal of Democracy 23, 1: 5–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dimitrov, Martin K. 2013. “Vertical Accountability in Communist Regimes: The Role of Citizen Complaints in Bulgaria and China.” In Why Communism Did Not Collapse: Understanding Authoritarian Regime Resilience in Asia and Europe, ed. Dimitrov, Martin K., 276–302. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dropp, Kyle, and Peskowitz, Zachary. 2012. “Electoral Security and the Provision of Constituency Service.” Journal of Politics 74, 1: 220–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Easterly, William. 2013. The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Fenno, Richard. 1978. Home Style: House Members in Their Districts. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.Google Scholar
Fiorina, Morris P. 1977. “The Case of the Vanishing Marginals: The Bureaucracy Did It.” American Political Science Review 71, 1: 177–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fukuyama, Francis. 2013. “What Is Governance?” Governance 26, 3: 347–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer. 2008. Political Institutions Under Dictatorship. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Lust-Okar, Ellen. 2009. “Elections Under Authoritarianism.” Annual Review of Political Science 12, 1: 403–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, Cherian. 2007. “Consolidating Authoritarian Rule: Calibrated Coercion in Singapore.” Pacific Review 20, 2: 127–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, Cherian. 2012. Freedom from the Press: Journalism and State Power in Singapore. Singapore: NUS Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, Peter A., and Soskice, David W., eds. 2001. Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
He, Baogang, and Warren, Mark E. 2011. “Authoritarian Deliberation: The Deliberative Turn in Chinese Political Development.” Perspectives on Politics 9, 2: 269–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heitshusen, Valerie, Young, Garry, and Wood, David M. 2005. “Electoral Context and MP Constituency Focus in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.” American Journal of Political Science 49, 1: 32–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helmke, Gretchen, and Levitsky, Steven. 2006. Informal Institutions and Democracy: Lessons from Latin America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ho, Paul. 2013. “New HDB Rules Create Anomaly-Cannot Buy HDB but Can Finance Condo?” Yahoo News Singapore. September 2. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/hdb-rules-create-anomaly-cannot-buy-hdb-finance113651136.html (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Hussain, Amir. 2012. “Big Turn-Out at Punggol East Meet-the-People Session.” TODAY. December 18. www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/parliament/news/big-turn-out-at-punggol-east-meet-the-people-session/530532.html (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
IRAS. 2013. “Additional Measures to Ensure a Stable and Sustainable Property Market.” Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. January 11. www.iras.gov.sg/irasHome/page03a.aspx?id=14342 (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Johannes, John R., and McAdams, John C. 1981. “The Congressional Incumbency Effect: Is It Casework, Policy Compatibility, or Something Else? An Examination of the 1978 Election.” American Journal of Political Science 25, 3: 512–542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kalyvas, Stathis N. 1999. “The Decay and Breakdown of Communist One-Party Systems.” Annual Review of Political Science 2, 1: 323–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kausikan, Bilahari. 1997. “Governance That Works.” Journal of Democracy 8, 2: 24–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, Gary, Pan, Jennifer, and Roberts, Margaret E. 2013. “How Censorship in China Allows Government Criticism but Silences Collective Expression.” American Political Science Review 107, 2: 326–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krauss, Ellis S., and Pekkanen, Robert. 2011. The Rise and Fall of Japan's LDP: Political Party Organizations as Historical Institutions. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhonta, Erik Martinez. 2011. The Institutional Imperative: The Politics of Equitable Development in Southeast Asia. Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Lee, Hsien Loong. 2014. “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally 2014 (Speech in English).” August 17. www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/prime-minister-lee-hsien-loongs-national-day-rally-2014-speech-english (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Levitsky, Steven, and Way, Lucan A. 2002. “The Rise of Competitive Authoritarianism.” Journal of Democracy 13, 2: 51–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levitsky, Steven, and Way, Lucan A. 2010. Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lijphart, Arend. 1971. “Comparative Politics and the Comparative Method.” American Political Science Review 65, 3: 682–693.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lim, Catherine. 1994. “The PAP and the People-A Great Affective Divide.” Straits Times. September 3. http://catherinelim.sg/1994/09/03/the-pap-and-the-people-a-great-affective-divide (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Lorentzen, Peter L. 2013. “Regularizing Rioting: Permitting Public Protest in an Authoritarian Regime.” Quarterly Journal of Political Science 8, 2: 127–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2006. Voting for Autocracy: Hegemonic Party Survival and Its Demise in Mexico. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2008. “Credible Power-Sharing and the Longevity of Authoritarian Rule.” Comparative Political Studies 41, 4-5: 715–741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahoney, James, and Thelen, Kathleen. 2010. Explaining Institutional Change: Ambiguity, Agency, and Power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Malesky, Edmund, Abrami, Regina, and Zheng, Yu. 2011. “Institutions and Inequality in Single-Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China.” Comparative Politics 43, 4: 409–427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malesky, Edmund, and Schuler, Paul. 2010. “Nodding or Needling: Analyzing Delegate Responsiveness in an Authoritarian Parliament.” American Political Science Review 104, 3: 482–502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manion, Melanie. 1996. “The Electoral Connection in the Chinese Countryside.” American Political Science Review 90, 4: 736–748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meng, Tianguang, Pan, Jennifer, and Yang, Ping. 2014. “Conditional Receptivity to Citizen Participation Evidence from a Survey Experiment in China.” Comparative Political Studies (December): 1–35. doi: 10.1177/0010414014556212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohd, Azahar. 2013. “Kami Mendengar Keprihatinan, Lakukan Yang Terbaik.” Berita Harian, April 15.Google Scholar
Morse, Yonatan L. 2011. “The Era of Electoral Authoritarianism.” World Politics 64, 1: 161–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mu, Fa Rong. 2008. “Lee Xian Long: De Bu Dao Min Xin, Jiu De Bu Dao Xuan Piao.” Nan Fang, Zha Zhi. June 24. http://admin.nfyk.com/ztbd/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=978 (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Parker, Glenn R., and Davidson, Roger H. 1979. “Why Do Americans Love Their Congressmen So Much More Than Their Congress?” Legislative Studies Quarterly 4, 1: 53–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pepinsky, Thomas. 2014. “The Institutional Turn in Comparative Authoritarianism.” British Journal of Political Science 44, 3: 631–653.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rajah, Jothie. 2012. Authoritarian Rule of Law: Legislation, Discourse and Legitimacy in Singapore. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reuter, Ora John, and Gandhi, Jennifer. 2011. “Economic Performance and Elite Defection from Hegemonic Parties.” British Journal of Political Science 41, 1: 83–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reuter, Ora John, and Remington, Thomas F. 2009. “Dominant Party Regimes and the Commitment Problem: The Case of United Russia.” Comparative Political Studies 42, 4: 501–526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodan, Garry, and Jayasuriya, Kanishka. 2007. “The Technocratic Politics of Administrative Participation: Case Studies of Singapore and Vietnam.” Democratization 14, 5: 795–815.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sagar, Rahul. 2014. “Have You Been to Kazanistan?: The Case for Decent Regimes.” Manuscript.Google Scholar
Schedler, Andreas. 2002. “The Menu of Manipulation.” Journal of Democracy 13, 2: 36–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schedler, Andreas., ed. 2006. Electoral Authoritarianism: The Dynamics of Unfree Competition. Boulder: Lynne Rienner.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, Ben Ross. 2013. Hierarchical Capitalism in Latin America: Business, Labor, and the Challenges of Equitable Development. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searing, Donald D. 1985. “The Role of the Good Constituency Member and the Practice of Representation in Great Britain.” Journal of Politics 47, 2: 348–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seawright, J., and Gerring, J. 2008. “Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of Qualitative and Quantitative Options.” Political Research Quarterly 61, 2: 294–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shambaugh, David L. 2008. China's Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
“Sights of Singapore: Chong Pang Meet the People Se.” 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odt3KstxcSI (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Sim, Soek-Fang. 2006. “Hegemonic Authoritarianism and Singapore: Economics, Ideology and the Asian Economic Crisis.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 36, 2: 143–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
“Singapore Parliament Reports.” 1955. Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. November 7. http://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/topic.jsp?currentTopicID=00047317-ZZ&currentPubID=00068868-ZZ&topicKey=00068868-ZZ.00047317-ZZ_1%2Bid026_19551107_S0004_T00101-bill%2B (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
“Singapore Parliament Reports.” 1968. Budget (Ministry of Labour). December 16. http://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/topic.jsp?currentTopicID=00053671-ZZ&currentPubID=00069199-ZZ&topicKey=00069199-ZZ.00053671-ZZ_1%2Bid018_19681216_S0003_T00051-budget%2B (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
“Singapore Parliament Reports.” 1976. Budget (Prime Minister Office). March 16. http://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/topic.jsp?currentTopicID=00056274-ZZ&currentPubID=00069322-ZZ&topicKey=00069322-ZZ.00056274-ZZ_1%2Bid004_19760316_S0002_T00071-budget%2B (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
“Singapore Parliament Reports.” 2013. Head T-Ministry of National Development. March 8. http://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/topic.jsp?currentTopicID=00079089-WA&currentPubID=00079098-WA&topicKey=00079098-WA.00079089-WA_4%2Bbudget%2B (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Slater, Dan. 2010. Ordering Power: Contentious Politics and Authoritarian Leviathans in Southeast Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spykerman, Kimberly. 2012. “DPM Teo to Ensure Punggol East Residents' Needs Are Met.” December 15. www.channelnewsasia.com/news/special-reports/parliament/news/dpm-teo-to-ensure-punggol/530192.html (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Stokes, Susan C., Dunning, Thad, Nazareno, Marcelo, and Brusco, Valeria. 2013. Brokers, Voters and Clientelism: The Puzzle of Distributive Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Straits Times. 1991. “No More MP Offices at HDB Void Decks,” November 15.Google Scholar
Streeck, Wolfgang, and Thelen, Kathleen. 2005. “Introduction: Institutional Change in Advanced Political Economies.” In Beyond Continuity: Institutional.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Change in Advanced Political Economies, ed. Streeck, Wolfgang and Thelen, Kathleen, 1–39. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Svolik, Milan W. 2012. The Politics of Authoritarian Rule. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
“Tan Chuan-Jin's First Meet-the-People Session.” 2013. YouTube video (3:38). www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRJJFNoxNY0 (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Tan, Kenneth Paul. 2008. “Meritocracy and Elitism in a Global City: Ideological Shifts in Singapore.” International Political Science Review 29, 1: 7–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tan, Kenneth Paul. 2014. “The Singapore Parliament: Representation, Effectiveness, and Control.” In Parliaments in Asia: Institution Building and Political Development, ed. Zheng, Yongnian, Lye, Liang Fook, and Hofmeister, Wilhelm, 27–46. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Tan, Kenneth Paul, and Tan, Andrew Sze-Sian. 2003. “Democracy and the Grassroots Sector in Singapore.” Space and Polity 7, 1: 3–20.Google Scholar
Tan, Kevin. 2008. Marshall of Singapore: A Biography. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tan, Netina. 2013. “Manipulating Electoral Laws in Singapore.” Electoral Studies 32, 4: 632–643.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tan, Netina, and Grofman, Bernard. 2014. “Multiseat Plurality Bloc Voting in Electoral Authoritarian Regimes: Comparing Singapore, Cameroon, Djibouti, and Chad.” Paper presented at AAS-in-Asia Conference 2014, National University of Singapore.Google Scholar
TODAY digital. 2012. “Michael Palmer Resigns as Speaker and MP.” YouTube video (13:25). http://youtu.be/bK-eXoMpjg8 (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Truex, Rory. 2014. “Representation Within Bounds.” PhD diss., Yale University. www.rorytruex.com/s/rtruex-Representation-Within-Bounds-Synopsis.pdf (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar
Tsai, Lily L. 2007. “Solidary Groups, Informal Accountability, and Local Public Goods Provision in Rural China.” American Political Science Review 101, 2: 355–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wedeen, Lisa. 1999. Ambiguities of Domination: Politics, Rhetoric, and Symbols in Contemporary Syria. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Zaobao, . 2013. “Zhuan Gao: Zhong Guo Xue Zhe Dui Hua Xin Jia Po Fan Dui Dang ‘Yi Ge.’” Zaobao.com.sg. May 22. www.zaobao.com.sg/special/zbo/others/story20130522-207333 (accessed May 21, 2015).Google Scholar