Singapore's Success

Book excerpt: This monograph seeks the key to good economic policy by explaining Singapore's remarkably rapid development-the world's fastest-growing economy between 1960 and 2000-and asks whether the city-state's success can be translated to other countries. Engineering prosperity is at the heart of Singapore. The book demonstrates how exceptional cohesion amongst economic outcomes, policies, institutions, values, and leadership over a long period account for the impressive results obtained. The author is careful not to present Singapore as a model to be copied uncritically in its specifics but as a case history that illustrates general principles which other countries might wish to apply to their particular circumstances.Well-researched yet highly readable, Singapore's Success: Engineering Economic Growth will appeal to Singaporeans and a wide international audience, including policy-makers and advisors, students of development economics, and anyone interested in the quest for sustained economic growth.