INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS IN THE SINGAPORE STATE

Abstract

This thesis is about the institutional logics in the Singapore state and in politics. I look at the historical developments of the institutional orders in the Singapore state. They are: the economy, the military, the politics - in particular the People's Action Party, and the state bureaucracy. I argue that the military-security logic is dominant owing to the emphasis on physical vulnerability especially during the years immediately after independence. The keen sense of vulnerability was felt by the initial generation of political leaders and bureaucrats, and this has been institutionalised. This thesis investigates one avenue of its manifestation, through the executive successions in the state bureaucracy and in politics.