ABSTRACT
Political pragmatism is seen as practical wisdom, whether expressed through the behaviour of an individual or a group. But the longevity of Singapore’s political system thus far does give it stability to think and plan long term, implement, adjust and reverse according to changes in reality, which are defining components of strategic pragmatism. On the other hand, it can be argued that the Chinese and US systems both aim for this in different ways, succeeding in some and failing in others. For while pragmatism – like luck – cannot be programmed to appear within a state, circumstances may be created so as to allow a government to take maximum advantage of it when it does appear.
