Politics

Overview

Question:

How is the global political climate transforming? What forms will governance take by the year 2030?

Submit Trends:http://crowdsensor.mit.edu/trends/2016/politics
Rules:All entrants must agree to the Crowdsensor rules and Terms of Use
Deadline: Friday, September 30 at 11:59:59 PM Singapore Time

 

 

Background

Politics involves the way that countries are run, and how they interact with one another. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, countries are beginning to influence one another in more complex ways. Governments have to straddle these external pressures along with the internal desires of their citizens.

Many different styles of governance are being pitted against one another on the international stage. Even within democracies, political parties struggle with choices such as whether to lean towards more government intervention in the economy or to assume more of a hands-off stance. National governments may also face an increased need to tackle issues such as the environment or managing the global economy on an international scale. This could lead to the rise in prominence of organizations such as the United Nations or the agreement on more international treaties such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Yet even as there may be pressure to find trans-national solutions, some national governments may feel a push to become more insular, and turn away from international entanglements, with regions such as the European Union turning inward to resolve financial and migration crises.

As a small nation of 5.5 million with an economy that relies primarily on international trade, Singapore is very sensitive to regional and global politics. With the need to cater to many external interests in all of its actions, its Smart Nation activities must be founded on policies that are consistent with the relationships it has worldwide.

Resources for Trend Authors

• Economist, The Singapore Exception

• Straits Times, Changes to Political System to Prepare Singapore for the Long Term

• Henry A. Kissinger, Current International Trends and World Peace

See this Sample Trend in the Technology Category for an example of how a completed trend submission might look.