ACE+-+Air-Con+Nation


 * Gentlemen, this is the last ACE activity that I will be setting for you.**
 * If you feel that you should just complete one more ACE assignment to improve on your ACE scores, then please proceed with this.**
 * Your completed work (hard copy preferably)** **should reach me by Term 4 Week 1 Mon 13 Sep.**

There are altogether 4 parts comprising a total of 23 chapters as well as an Introduction and a Conclusion.

Questions have been set based on __**ALL**__ 4 parts as well as the Introduction & Conclusion and you are obliged to answer questions based on __**at least one part**__ of the book.

The quality of your response will determine the number of ACE cps to be awarded.

Remember that the purpose of this activity is to enable you to analyse the structure, the language as well as the strategies used in putting forth various arguments. It will also help you understand the recent developments and changes in the Singapore government and how policies are formed. Finally, it will be good for you to be exposed to the concept of active citizenry.


 * __Questions on 'Singapore - The Air-Conditioned Nation'__**

Please select questions based on **__either__** the Introduction & Conclusion, Part One, Part Two, Part Three or Part Four. You are obliged to answer ALL questions based on the Part that you have selected.


 * //Introduction: The Politics of an Air-Conditioned Nation & Conclusion: Air-conditioned Underwear and the Future of Politics//**

1. In your opinion, what do the terms 'authoritarian democracy' and 'benevolent dictatorship refer to. How are they different? //[Introduction]//

2. Why do you think the term 'The Air-Conditioned Nation' is an apt description of Singapore? //[Introduction]//

3. What do you think the terms 'autonomy as consumers' and 'autonomy to challenge' suggest about the nature of Singaporeans? //[Introduction]//

4. The writer thinks that the advent of the 21st century may require a new kind of politics (p 196). What did he envisage this new politics to be like? //[Conclusion]//

5. Lee's air-conditioned underwear seems to be a concept that challenges national unity (p 207). In your own words, explain how this is so. //[Conclusion]//

6. How can Singapore arrest the "privatisation of its public"? //[Conclusion]//

//**Part One - Climate Control: Politics Under The New Guard**//

7. In your own words, explain how Mr Goh Chok Tong's impact on Singapore politics "was seen at several levels" and how he was different from Mr Lee Kuan Yew as a Prime Minister. //[chapter 1]//

8. What was the original intention of the 'depoliticisation' of the Singapore public and what were the negative effects of such depoliticisation? //[chapter 2]//

//9//. What do you understand about the 'Singapore School of Thought'? Why and how is it different from Western democracy? //[chapter 3]//

10. "The directly elected character of the President adds a new and unfamiliar dimension to Singapore's political matrix." In what way is this true? //[chapter 4]//

11. Explain the difference between the principle of press freedom in Singapore and that of a Western democratic country//. [chapter 5]//

12. What do you understand by the strategy 'riding the tiger' in the 1950s and that in the 1990s? //[chapter 6]//

//**Part Two - Lightning and Blunder: PAP vs the Opposition**//

13. What was PAP's main strategy that ensured their strong showing in the 1997 elections and what was the main criticism about it? //[chapter 7]//

14. In your opinion, how accurate is the "PAP's vote share as a barometer of public support for the government." //[chapter 8]//

15. What aspects of Chee Soon Juan's character were revealed by the various events that unfolded in this chapter? //[chapter 10]//

16. How did Tang Liang Hong portray himself as being "more Chinese than PAP's Chinese MPs"? //[chapter 11]//

17. According to Tommy Koh, what character trait should a person have if he wants to enter politics? //[chapter 12]//

18. What problem does the 'grey lobby' pose to the PAP and what does the author suggest as solutions to this problem? //[chapter 13]//


 * //Part Three - In the Banyan's Shade: Civil Society Re-emerges//**

19. What is civil society and why is it important for democratic progress? //[chapter 14]//

20//.// Why do you think there is general apathy towards civic society amongst young Singaporeans and how do you think we can develop such an interest amongst them? //[chapter 14]//

21. What problems did Sintercom face when legislative rules for the Internet were implemented in 1996 and why do you think the government decided to treat her as a "special case"? //[chapter 15]//

22. How has the "non-confrontational" image cultivated by the Nature Society of Singapore helped her achieve her goals? //[chapter 16]//

23. How do you think Singapore can balance control over culture with the development of a vibrant arts scene? //[chapter 17]//

24. How did initial plans to set up Community Development Councils (CDCs) appear positive for civil society and yet end up being viewed with suspicion by some Singaporeans? //[chapter 18]//


 * //Part Four - A Place In The Sun: Race and National Identity//**

25. The writer is of the opinion that the Singapore government "has shown strikingly little interest in cultivating Singaporean's appreciation for one another's cultures." To what extent do you think he is right? //[chapter 19]//

26. "Singapore is one of the most Westernised cities in Asia. (Yet) in some respects, Singaporeans are not westernised enough." Do you agree with this opinion? //[chapter 20]//

27. Why does the writer think that political issues are key considerations behind debates over language education? //[chapter 21]//

28.Do you think that opening our doors to foreigners would depreciate the value of citizenship? Why or why not? //[chapter 22]//

29. George Cherian calls the national urge to upgrade "an unsettling impermanence." What is your opinion on this? //[chapter 23]//