"Singapore's rapid ascent from Third World to First since its independence in 1965 has won it acclaim as an "economic miracle". Economic success has been accompanied by impressive achievements in social development, as reflected in international rankings of human capital and human development....

The city-state of Singapore is a rare case of market autocracy. The government systematically suppresses political dissent through its courts and legislature, and political power is concentrated almost entirely in the hands of a small governing body: the Cabinet of Ministers. At the same time,...