Donald Low

challenging the Singapore consensus

Hard choices

Singapore is changing. The consensus that the PAP government has constructed and maintained over five decades is fraying. The assumptions that underpin Singaporean exceptionalism are no longer accepted as easily and readily as before. Among these are the ideas that the country is uniquely vulnerable, that this vulnerability limits its policy and political options, that good governance demands a degree of political consensus that ordinary democratic arrangements cannot produce, and that the country's success requires a competitive meritocracy accompanied by relatively little income or wealth redistribution.But the policy and political conundrums that Singapore faces today are complex and defy easy answers. Confronted with a political landscape that is likely to become more contested, how should the government respond? What reforms should it pursue? This collection of essays suggests that a far-reaching and radical rethinking of the country's policies and institutions is necessary, even if it weakens the very consensus that enabled Singapore to succeed in its first fifty years.

Hard Choices

Analysts of government have frequently noted how Singapore's policies are grounded in rigorous economics thinking. Policies are designed to be economically efficient even if they are not always popular. This pioneering book takes a different approach. It aims to demonstrate how successful policies in Singapore have integrated conventional economic principles with insights from the emerging field of behavioural economics even before the latter became popular. Using examples from various policy domains, it shows how good policy design often requires a synthesis of insights from economics and psychology. Policies should not only be compatible with economic incentives, but should also be sensitive to the cognitive abilities, limitations and biases of citizens. Written by policy practitioners in the Singapore government, this book is an important introduction to how behavioural economics and the findings from cognitive psychology can be intelligently applied to the design of public policies. As one of the few books written on the subject, it promises to stimulate wider interest in the subject among researchers, policymakers and anyone interested in the design of effective public policies. Contents:Cognition, Choice and Policy Design (Donald LOW)Key Ideas in Behavioural Economics — and What They Mean for Policy Design (KOH Tsin Yen)Incentives, Norms and Public Policy (Charmaine TAN and Donald LOW)A Behavioural Perspective to Managing Traffic Congestion in Singapore (LEONG Wai Yan and LEW Yii Der)Can Psychology Save the Planet and Improve our Environment (Philip ONG)Promoting Competition in Electricity Retail: Insights from Behavioural Economics (Eugene TOH and Vivienne LOW)Discretionary Transfers: Providing Fiscal Support in a Behaviourally Compatible Way (Pamela QIU and TAN Li San)Using Behavioural Insights to Improve Individual Health Decisions (Lavinia LOW and YEE Yiling)A Behavioural View on Designing Singapore's National Annuity Scheme (Donald LOW)Behavioural Economics, Policy Analysis, and the Design of Regulatory Reform (Jack KNETSCH) Readership: Policymakers, researchers and general readers with interest in policymaking in Singapore — in relation to behavioural economic theories. Keywords:Cognitive Biases;Psychology;Pragmatic Rationalism;Choice Architecture;Singapore;Policy Design;Economics in Public Policy;Behavioural EconomicsKey Features:This is the first compiled volume that discusses the applications of behavioural economics in public policy. Using examples from Singapore, it offers a unique, practitioner-based view of how policies can be improved by being sensitive to people's psychologyIt provides a penetrating and interesting inside look at the design of public policies in the Singapore government, which is well-regarded for its pragmatic, rationalist approach to governance. Written by practitioners for practitioners, this book illustrates how psychological considerations that go well beyond standard economics assumptions have shaped policy design in Singapore — often producing superior public and citizen outcomesIt draws on the diverse perspectives of policy makers and academics from different fields, rather than solely from a single author/researcher. This gives room for comparative analysis, and provides a vivid demonstration of how the ideas of behavioural economics can be applied in a variety of policy contextsReviews: “It is well known that public policy in Singapore is often guided by the rigour of economic logic. What is less well known is how policies have also been shaped by an intuitive understanding of human motivations that go beyond the traditional assumptions of economics. This book is a treasure trove of cases in the application of behavioural economics in Singapore and shows how policymakers may not always get it right at first but are always learning and adapting to do better the next time.” Ravi Menon Managing Director Monetary Authority of Singapore “This book gives many examples of how the design of public policies in Singapore integrated classical economic principles with the emerging insights from behavioural economics. The synthesis of economic and psychological approaches exemplifies Singapore's purposeful experimentation and innovation in public policy. Decision-makers took a holistic perspective of how policy would affect citizen behaviour and pragmatically incorporated behavioural insights even before they became popular. The results are more effective policies and better citizen outcomes.” Professor Neo Boon Siong Nanyang Business School, NTU lead author of the best-selling book, Dynamic Governance “A moment of introspection should convince most of us that conventional economic models do not capture fully how we think and act. But it is only recently that behavioural economics has begun to influence the design of public policies. This stimulating book clearly describes the relevance of the behavioural economics perspective to important policy debates and demonstrates the value that it adds to policy design and outcomes. Policymakers around the world will learn a lot from the real world policy applications described in the book.” Dr David Skilling Director, Landfall Strategy Group Fellow of the Civil Service College, Singapore “This book is a succinct collection and articulation of behavioural economics applied in public policy. It is also one of the best primers on the subject and an essential read for all government and business leaders.” Samuel M Lam President Linkage Asia “In a clear and coherent manner, each chapter of this brilliant book focuses on a policy domain (e.g. traffic, health, the environment) to illustrate how the design and implementation of public policy can be made more effective by applying insights from behavioural economics. This book will provide a springboard for future collaborations between researchers and policymakers in the Singapore Civil Service, and it is a ‘must read’ for anyone interested in Singapore's public policies.” Professor David Chan Director of Behavioural Sciences Institute Singapore Management University “The book does a decent job of explaining via classic examples the important concepts of behavioral economics, but where it really shines is in applying behavioral economics concepts to policy issues … it should be very interesting reading for policy makers in other countries in Asia to have so many helpful examples from experiments from Singapore or alluded to from other countries. It is also an interesting book for educators teaching behavioral economics because it provides real life examples that go beyond the classic examples used in textbooks. Finally it should be useful for researchers looking for new developments to explore.” Southeast Asian Journal of Economics “Readers who are first time encountering behavioural economics will find this book illuminating and interesting. The examples from the Singapore experience as mentioned in the book are really classic cases and the book can be readily used as a supplementary text to third-year undergraduates pursuing a course called Behavioural Economics. All in all, the book is a good read.” Southern University College Academic Journal “Readers who are first time encountering behavioural economics will find this book illuminating and interesting. The examples from Singapore experience as mentioned in the book are really classic cases and the book can be readily used as a supplementary text to third-year undergraduates pursuing a course called Behavioural Economics. Laymen will find the book readable and it will also enhance his or her deeper understanding the underpinning of each public policy.” Southern University College Academic Journal

Examples from Singapore

Behavioural Economics and Policy Design

"This book aims to demonstrate how successful policies in Singapore have integrated conventional economic principles with insights from the emerging field of behavioural economics even before the latter became popular. Using examples from various policy domains, it shows how good policy design often requires a synthesis of insights from economics and psychology. Policies should not only be compatible with economic incentives, but should also be sensitive to the cognitive abilities, limitations and biasesof citizens. Written by policy practitioners in the Singapore government, this book is an introduction to how behavioural economics and the findings from cognitive psychology can be intelligently applied to the design of public policies."--Publisher's description.

Allan R. Ronald

The quinolones are making a significant contribution to patient care and have added a new dimension to antibacterial therapy. During the last decade, they became important agents for treating hospital-acquired infections. This volume covers their mechanisms of action, resistance mechanisms and epidemiology, pharmacokinetics, safety and clinical applications. Their effectiveness for respiratory, urinary, sexually transmitted, skin, soft tissue, bone and joint infections, infections of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, and less common infections such as mycobacterial, Brucella and others are reviewed. Also described is their use in pediatric, oncology and immunocompromised patients. The quinolone story continues to be intriguing with exciting future implications.This monograph is an important comprehensive review and update for researchers and clinicians in pharmacology, clinical medicine, molecular and cell biology, epidemiology and the pharmaceutical industry.

Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics

In this definitive work for our generation, Donald Low brings together, for the first time, the words and tunes of all Burns' known songs, both `polite' and bawdy. The Songs of Robert Burns were, in their author's eyes, the crown of his achievement as a poet. After years of study and investigation, many hours spent listening to old airs, as he recalled the living, daily, song-life of the people of Scotland, and through the creation of some of the finest lyric poetry produced in the British Isles, Burns' success is beyond doubt.

The Songs of Robert Burns

Cherian George

The 2020 General Election results have raised expectations that Singapore will transition to a more competitive democracy. But this is far from preordained. Nor is there a clear societal consensus that the city-state needs this amid a pandemic and its deepest economic crisis since independence. For now, the People’s Action Party still controls all the levers of power. With the opposition still not ready to step up as an alternative government-in-waiting, Lee Kuan Yew’s prognosis still applies: the PAP’s internal dynamics will be the primary determinant of its continued viability. PAP v. PAP expands on one dimension of this inner struggle: between a conservative attachment to what worked in the past, and a boldly progressive vision for the future. Cherian George and Donald Low argue that a reformed PAP — comfortable with political competition and more committed to justice and equality — would be good for Singapore, and serve the long-term interests of the party. An adaptive PAP, buttressed with stronger democratic legitimacy, would also maintain one of Singapore’s most important strengths: a strong consensus on the virtues of an expert-led, elite government. Only by strengthening democratic practices and norms can Singapore maintain its edge in a world pulled apart by identity politics, populist nationalism and nativism, and an erosion of trust in public institutions. The anthology draws from the authors’ many years of commentary on Singapore government and politics, and also includes new essays responding to the exceptional events of 2020.

Donald Low

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