Pragmatic governance over ideology
Lee judged policy by what works, not by doctrine, adopting whatever produced results. Ideological purity was subordinated to measurable outcomes.
Lee Kuan Yew
4 ideas
Order and stability precede prosperity
Lee held that development requires firm order and strong institutions before liberal freedoms. Economic growth is prioritized as the foundation for other goods.
Meritocracy as the state's operating principle
Singapore recruited and paid top talent into government to keep it clean and competent. Merit-based selection is treated as the antidote to corruption and decline.
Small states must be exceptionally well-run
Lee saw Singapore's survival as contingent on out-performing larger neighbors through discipline. Vulnerability is turned into a mandate for relentless competence.