A Study On The Adaptability Transformation Of Singapore 's Authoritarian System

In the past 54 years, from 1959 to 2014, People’s Action Party in Singapore has maintained dominant status in the political arena. The grassroots organizations under the PAP’s control have played irreplaceable role for the PAP’s long-term rule. With the development of the PAP and society in Singapore, the function and role of People’s Association which is on the top of the pyramid of Singapore grassroots organizations have shifted from its original designing focused on political mobilization. Grassroots organizations under the leadership of the People’s Association are the greatest in number, extensively distributing, involving the largest number of residents, and maintaining the deepest degree of exposure to residents. Therefore these organizations’roles, whether in the PAP’s rule or in each general election, are so critical that could not be ignored. In each general election, these grassroots organizations would assist the PAP to victory in parliamentary elections. The activities and supports from these organizations are essential to the PAP’s continuation rule position.However, with the advance of the process of globalization, modernization and information technology, the social structure of Singapore has undergone great changes. For example, middle class and higher educated population are growing, leading to a diversity of interest demands and increasing citizen’s political participation. A modern, open and pluralistic society has emerged. In such a case, the opposition parties are also stronger and get more supports from mass, striving to find a breakthrough from the existing institutional system to break the current political status. In particular, the new generation of voters with high-education background, well-informed and innovation desire would challenge Singapore’s existing one-party domination political system. These new generation of voters are an important part of the network of grassroots organizations. Their changes would directly result in a change of grassroots organizations. Grassroots organizations would exceed its original political purpose, through the management functions, and to service-oriented functions. The network of grassroots organizations which was always attached to the PAP has become more proactive and participative. These would from bottom to up promote the PAP to take adaptive adjustment to reform its authoritarian regime.This adjustment and reform needs from the bottom and the PAP’s adaptive reform to its own authoritarian political system are interactive relationship and exciting political games. In the process of interactive game, grassroots organizations and PAP influence each other and promoted each other. The PAP has initiatively reformed to adapt the development of modernization and democratization. Meanwhile, grassroots organizations also promoted PAP reformation from bottom to up. Under the PAP’s government, Singapore political system would slowly transform from authoritarian regime to democratic regime. Then it will end with an inevitable trend to establish a democratic system in line with Singapore’s national conditions, which is the inevitable result of the political game between the PAP and grassroots organizations.