Singapore — Lee Kuan Yew government (1959–1990)
Singapore
Basis for the estimate: Dominant-party rule, state-led development, strict public order.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Self-governing British colony (1959–1963), part of Malaysia (1963–1965), then a parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| In practice | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Singapore, 1959–1990, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 45 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 63 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 74 | toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 71 | toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 45 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 55 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 72 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 71 | toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 71 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 76 | toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 69 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 70 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 45 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 45 | near the center |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Hate speech should be a criminal offense. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| A strong leader who gets things done matters more than following proper procedures. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Agrees | estimated |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Disagrees | estimated |
| Abortion should be illegal in most or all cases. | Agrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Most similar governments
Sources
- Wikipedia: Lee Kuan Yew (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.