ABSTRACT
The postwar record of regional development is replete with policy experimentation, but Singapore’s record of innovation and commitment is widely seen as exemplary. From Singapore’s tumultuous inception as a sovereign city-state in 1965, the subsequent four decades of (almost unbroken) growth and development have been shaped in large part by state economic policies and programs. These have included statements that articulate progressive economic visions designed to shape the restructuring of sectors, industries, and employment, supported by fiscal and macroeconomic policy adjustments, assertive industrial policies and spatial economic planning, and investments in transportation and other infrastructure. In addition to this panoply of ‘hard’ policies emphasizing physical infrastructure and capital works, Singapore’s development model increasingly features ‘soft policies’ and programs. These include investments in cultural development, tourism, international partnerships and exchanges (including those with ASEAN partners), marketing and information campaigns, and commitment to higher education as a means of enhancing Singapore’s regional and international competitive advantage.
