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SINGAPORE – Conservatives are on the decline. Compared to five years ago, the proportion of Singaporeans labeled as politically conservative fell by more than half: from 44.3% to 18.5%.
This category of voters is described in the post GE2020 Institute for Political Studies (IPS) survey as those who do not agree with the need for a change in the electoral system, checks and balances, and different voices in Parliament.
On the other hand, the proportion in the swing category, defined as mixed in its views compared to pluralists and conservatives, soared by more than 20 points to 59.2 percent.
Pluralists, or those who want greater political diversity, increased slightly by 4.4 percentage points to 22.4 percent.
Dr. Teo Kay Key said the rise in the swing category is “surprising” given that most would expect stronger growth in the proportion of pluralists amid calls for a greater opposition presence in Parliament.
“Maybe people want some kind of representation and some checks and balances, but not until the pluralistic end,” said Dr. Teo, an IPS Social Lab postdoctoral fellow and member of the survey team.
“The (pluralistic) demands may have been tempered by other governance problems, such as the need for efficient government, which is one of the three main issues shaping voting decisions among the three categories.”
The IPS research team emphasized that the poll results reflect the political concerns and preferences of the respondents, but do not say exactly which party they voted for in GE2020.
In the last three general elections, pluralists have always been younger, especially those aged 21-29, college-educated and wealthier.
But what stood out this year was the increase in its share between lower-income households earning less than $ 2,000 a month and those with post-secondary non-tertiary qualifications.
IPS said this points to two effects occurring.
First, the constant tendency of those in the highest socioeconomic class to support political pluralism.
Second, the effects of basic issues at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum, so that respondents felt that political opposition in Parliament was necessary.
“It is quite consistent that those in the higher socioeconomic classes will think very clearly about the role of political competition and pluralism,” said Dr. Gillian Koh, IPS principal investigator who led the research team behind the survey.
He noted that the biggest change this year was not towards the pluralist group, but towards the swing category.
How respondents ultimately voted, he added, would depend on other factors, such as the attributes of individual electoral candidates.
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