Serangoon SRQ Essay Notes for Q7 full set

SERANGOON SECONDARY SCHOOL NOTES HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT – SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT Page | 1 Issue 1 – Exploring Citizenship and Governance (Chapters 1 to 4) Chapter 1: What does citizenship mean to me Focus: Attributes shaping citizenship ● Legal status ● A sense of identity ● Shared values ● Civic Participation Legal status When a person has legal status as a citizen, he/she is recognised by law as a member of a country. T he citizens will be granted rights, where they have the freedom and privileges that citizens have. Thes e privileges such as voting rights are in the constitution and are protected by law. Citizens are also obliged to fulfil duties as members of the country. For example, 18 -year-old male citizens are obliged to serve National Service (NS) and serve up to 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service per year until the age of 40 or 50. A sense of identity A sense of national identity comes from a shared belief of connectedness to other citizens belonging to the country. It could be shaped by common experiences, practices and spaces such as the use of Singlish, celebrating National Day, and having hawker cen tres as a common space that represent Singapore’s multicultural heritage. Singaporeans may also share a common way of life, and experience common practices such as singing the National Anthem and taking the National Pledge as Singaporeans. Shared values Shared values shape citizenship as these principles and beliefs are embraced and seen as important b y people. The values are shaped by a country’s history, heritage and experiences which may change over time as citizens respond to challenges faced by the c ountry. For example, in embracing the value of ‘multiculturalism’, Singaporeans generally believe in living in harmony in a multiracial and multireligious society. They make a conscious effort to understand and develop good relationships with people from different races and religions. Civic participation Civic participation refers to citizens taking part in public affairs which are matters of general in terest or concern to most people in society. It involves citizens contributing their time, effort and money to address societal issues, specific needs in society, or interests that they are concerned with, either as individuals or as community groups.

SERANGOON SECONDARY SCHOOL NOTES HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT – SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT Page | 2 Individual For example, as individuals, a Singaporean family set up a free minimart offering some grocery produ cts to people in need. The initiative received support from many individuals who came forward to donate cash and groceries. For community groups, there are informal groups that exist for a period of time needed to address specific objectives. A group of Singaporeans started a mobile application called GoodHood.sg to promote neighbourliness in Singapore by connecting their neighbours by asking for or offering help. Formal and Informal Groups Formal community groups have clear objectives and are officially registered with the government to cater to specific needs and interests of society. Non -governmental organisations (NGOs) and social service agencies (SSAs) are examples of formal groups. One example is the ZeroWaste SG where it aims to drive towards zero waste in Singapore through education and advocacy.

SERANGOON SECONDARY SCHOOL NOTES HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT – SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT Page | 3 Chapter 2: What are the Functions and Roles of Government in Working for the Good of Society? Focus: Functions of Government ● Makes and passes law ● Implements and enforces law ● Interprets and applies law Make and passes law The Judiciary performs the government function of making and passing law. It consists of the Preside nt and Parliament. Before a law is passed, the draft of the law which is called a bill is debated in Pa rliament and which must receive the President’s agreement to become part of the law in Singapore. This enables the government to carry out their roles in society in ensuring the safety of her citizens. Implements and enforces law The Executive performs the government function of enforcing and implementing laws. It consists of th e President and the Cabinet. They are supported by the various ministries and statutory boards to formulate and implement government policies in areas such as education, healthcare, housing and transport, and the day-to-day administration of the affairs of state. This enables the government to carry out their roles in society in keeping Singaporeans safe. Interprets and applies law The Judiciary fulfils the government function of interpreting and applying laws through the Courts. It consists of the Supreme Court, the State Courts and the Family Justice Courts. The head of the Judiciary is the Chief Justice. The Judiciary makes formal judgements on disputes between individuals and on those between individuals and the government. This enables the government to carry out their roles in society in ensuring Singaporeans are treated fairly in the face of law.

SERANGOON SECONDARY SCHOOL NOTES HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT – SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT Page | 4 Focus: Roles in Society ● Maintains law and order ● Ensures the economic and social well-being of citizens ● Promotes and protects a country’s national interests Maintains law and order The government maintains law and order in society such that people obey the law and behave in an organised and behave in an organised and peaceful way. This preserves safety and security by ensurin g that citizens’ lives are protected from harmful acts. They also ensure justice in society. By ensuring justice, this ensures everyone is equal before law and treated fairly. For example, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) aims to prevent, deter and detect crime. Ensures the economic and social well-being of citizens The government ensures the economic and social well -being of the citizens by providing goods and services to the public at no cost or at a highly subsidised cost so that all citizens have access to them. For example, education, healthcare, housing and transportation are highly subsidised. As such, people’s basic needs for food, water and shelter are met, and they have the ability to pursue their goals and enjoy a satisfactory quality of life. Promotes and protects a country’s national interests The government promotes and protects the country’s national interests as these national interests influence the objectives of the country’s foreign policy. Through diplomacy, an agreement between countries to cooperate in order to produce results that alig n with their interests can be obtained. Countries conduct diplomacy to promote common interests and to resolve conflicting interests in a peaceful manner. *For example, Singapore maintains strong bilateral relations with Malaysia for the 1962 Water Agreeme nt for water security. / For example, Singapore’s membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) allows Singapore to sign a trade agreement (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with 14 other Asia -Pacific countries. With strong and friendly bilateral and multilateral relationships with other countries, a small country like Singapore can safeguard and advance its interests. Deterrence, another way to protect Singapore’s national interests is also practiced. Deterrence discourages potential aggressors by making it costly for them to attack. To deter potential aggressors, countries like Singapore build their air, land and sea capabilities and defences. This ensures the county’s security and well-being is being protected as this ensures Singapore is safe from attacks by another country. *Use one example to illustrate either bilateral or multilateral relations. Depending on the question, use the relev