This article aims to examine three prevailing theories of political change—modernization theory, new structuralist theory, and value change theory—by examining the case of Singapore. The article focuses on the effects of three socioeconomic and demographic attributes—education, income, and generation—on people's preferences regarding dominant party rule. Using data from postelection surveys conducted in 2011 and 2015, this empirical examination shows that income has a significant effect—primarily that persons with lower income show stronger support for the status quo. The younger generation born into the already well‐developed economy after the country's independence supports greater pluralism, in contrast to the older generation born before its independence. Higher levels of education also enhance positive perceptions of political pluralism, but at a weak level of significance. These results are consistent with the predictions of modernization theory and value change theory, but are not directly consistent with those of new structuralist theory.

中文翻译：

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现状还是多元化？新加坡的主要政党统治和人民偏好

本文旨在通过研究新加坡的案例，研究三种主要的政治变革理论：现代化理论，新结构主义理论和价值变革理论。本文着重讨论三种社会经济和人口属性（教育，收入和世代）对人们对执政党统治的偏好的影响。使用2011年和2015年进行的大选后的调查数据，该经验检验表明，收入具有显着影响-主要是收入较低的人对现状有更强的支持。该国独立后出生于本已发达的经济中的年轻一代支持更大的多元化，而独立之前出生的老一代则相反。较高的教育水平也增强了人们对政治多元化的积极认识，但意义不大。这些结果与现代化理论和价值变化理论的预测是一致的，但与新的结构主义理论的结果却并不直接一致。