Governance, institutions, and economic performance: a comparative study of Singapore and South Sudan

The ongoing debate between democratic and nondemocratic systems has gained significant attention in contemporary political discourse. With the rise of authoritarian regimes, the long-standing assumption that democratic principles are prerequisites for economic development has been increasingly challenged. While some authoritarian regimes, such as China and Singapore, have demonstrated notable economic successes, others, like South Sudan, face persistent economic struggles. This divergence raises critical questions about the relationship between governance systems and economic outcomes. This study aims to address the following research question: How do governance structures, institutional capacities, and historical contexts influence economic development in authoritarian regimes? By employing the Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), the study compares two contrasting authoritarian regimes: Singapore, an economically successful case, and South Sudan, an economically struggling one. The research incorporates a structural-historical approach to examine the factors that differentiate their economic trajectories, such as institutional efficiency, historical legacy, and policy decisions. The findings of this study contribute to the broader literature on authoritarianism and development by offering a nuanced understanding of how governance systems shape economic performance. In doing so, it challenges simplistic assumptions about authoritarian governance and highlights the complexities underlying economic success and failure.