From depoliticisation to repoliticisation: Rethinking Singapore’s developmental state in a post-industrial era

Abstract

Singapore’s developmental state has undergone significant transformations over the decades. Initially focused on national survival under a developmental state model, it later embraced neoliberal principles, applying market mechanisms to society. This shift was accompanied by a transition to a post-industrial, knowledge-based economy, characterised by the rise of the financial sector and a focus on research and innovation. However, these changes resulted in a growing crisis of inequality, driving repoliticisation as rising public discontent translated into increased electoral competition and calls for reform. Using Flinders and Buller’s framework of “arena-shifting”, we conceptualise these shifts as sequential phases: depoliticisation for reasons of national survival, depoliticisation via market mechanisms, and repoliticisation spurred by inequality. These transformations illustrate “policy stretch”, wherein the state faces the challenge of simultaneously pursuing diverse and often conflicting goals – in the case of Singapore, economic growth, global competitiveness, and the provision of social welfare. Stretch strains the state’s capacity and coherence, as it attempts to expand its interventions across multiple domains within a highly compressed timeframe. This paper contributes to the discourse on developmental states by framing these transitions as an ongoing process of arena-shifting, where repoliticisation necessitates the state to foster citizen engagement and create robust social safety nets to address inequality and adapt.