Suggested Answer Scheme
JC2 Mid-Year GP Paper 1 (2010)
(*) – denotes that the question is one of the more popular questions
1. Is it true that multi-national corporations have too much power in the world today? (*)
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Essay should be contextualized to the borderless world today
Answer should focus on examining whether MNCs have “too much” power – whether
the power they have is undesirable to the well-being of the society or the authority of
political structure. Too much power can also be viewed in the sense of being not
accountable to the society (e.g. Oil spill by BP in the Gulf of Mexico)
Answer should look at the range of power they hold – e.g. economic power in terms of
employment, political power in the form of information (e.g Google, Microsoft), cultural
power, social power - influence on the consumption habits and worldview of individuals
Weak answers are unable to explain the ways in which power is wielded
Weak answers do not focus on evaluating whether MNCs have “too much” power
Answer should look at private companies, not government-linked companies.
Response can argue that they do not wield ‘too much power’ because the power they
have is used to benefit society (e.g. sponsoring arts and cultural activities)
Students should not use ideas from Economics or Geography without linking it to the
specific issue of power
2. How desirable is a sense of history in your society?
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Weak answers show no contextualization to the Singapore society and do not clearly
establish the degree of desirability and justification for the degree of desirability
Students should recognize a sense of history is an awareness of history and historical
milestones that defines the nation
Students should point out that a sense of history is desirable to establishing the national
identity and how Singapore is using a sense of history to cultivate rootedness in a
globalised world and an appreciation of how far we have progressed as a nation. A sense
of history is desirable in creating an awareness of the faultlines that may still divide
society.
Possible counter-argument: Too much historical baggage may in fact deter society from
changing and advancing.
Students bringing in history of other countries must show relevance to the Singapore
society
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3. ‘Sport divides more than it unites.’ What is your view? (*)
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Scripts are expected to evaluate why sport divides more than it unites or vice versa and
give convincing justification, instead of just explaining why sport divides and unites.
Good answers could look at the issue from a personal level, community level and the
global level – this is one area where few students provide sufficient coverage.
Division should be focused on the conflicts created by sport and the idea of unity should
be focused on the common grounds established by sport.
Range of examples should not be limited to soccer and Singapore’s society. More
current examples and a wider range of sport should be used.
Arguments could include the politicization of sport on a global level, football
hooliganism unites a group but creates divisions among rival fans, how the win-at-allcost mentality forces individuals to forsake sportsmanship and encourage conflicts
Counter-arguments could look at how sport develops national identity in drawing
different ethnic groups together and creating national pride. Sport can be a common
platform for athletes to test and improve their competitive skills and unite them in the
pursuit of excellence, rather than as purely competitive rivalry. On an individual level,
sport builds camaraderie among people who share similar interests in sport.
4. Will the Internet bring freedom to oppressed people? (*)
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Students are expected to show understanding of the nature of the Internet, which could
help to bring freedom to oppressed people.
Students are expected to understand the definition of oppressed people as people who
suffer from political tyranny, social injustice and cruelty. The ‘oppression’ should not be
trivial and should not be about personal hang-ups/depressed individuals.
A good answer should relate to the context of the Iranian Presidential Election in 2009
and authoritarian governments curtailing the power of the Internet in Myanmar, Cuba,
North Korea. The governments could restrict Internet access to a small segment of the
population because of the open nature of the Internet which could inflate expressions of
dissent and political oppositions.
Possible arguments – There is greater space for free expression in countries where
traditional media are restricted/ It helps to facilitate freedom from tyranny through
exposure of abuses and requesting for humanitarian intervention by the international
community/ Governments are unable to control and actively censor dissent, allowing
greater freedom of speech, Internet allows the mobilization of citizens to organize
resistance and gain freedom of association by building communities.
Possible balance: Active government censorship and surveillance on the Internet may
clamp down on the freedom of expression/ the Internet is a tool to highlight oppression
but whether it brings about freedom will ultimately depends on the will of the people or
international community to bring about freedom for these oppressed people
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5. ‘The best government is the least government.’ Discuss. (*)
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Answers which do not define clearly the parameters of ‘best’ government and ‘least
government’ will not be able to do well for the question.
Students could look at the need for government intervention in economics, civil rights
and morality. The degree of intervention also depends on the needs and social
landscape of the society.
A good answer should evaluate the extent of government intervention needed (in the
light of the global financial crisis) and also thoughtful considerations on the role of
governments in today’s context. Answers could look at censorship, paternalistic states,
how the U.K. and U.S. governments directly intervened in the financial crisis and bailed
out banks.
Some saw the least government in terms of there being no government, which is quite a
different idea. Current examples were lacking.
Good answers should also look at the concepts of laissez-faire approach, guided
democracy, capitalism, the harm principle and individual liberty.
6. Is advertising always misleading? (*)
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Students are expected to reflect understanding of the value word and implications of
the word ‘always’ in their answer
The issue in the question is whether advertising manipulate and prey on the consumer’s
needs through distorted facts, persuasion, manipulation of the consumers with false
claims.
Students can emphasise that consumers need to be discerning and critical to avoid being
easily misled by advertisements. Some consumers are vulnerable to being misled.
In fact, there are advertising ethical codes that could possibly regulate misleading
portrayals (eg: Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore)
Weak scripts will give a list of advertisements and showing how the advertisements
mislead people, without formulation of arguments.
Arguments for why advertising is misleading - advertisers use persuasive element and
techniques of deliberate deception (e.g. the use of supposedly scientific claims for
beauty products), sensationalise to attract people to products and earn more profits,
create unrealistic and perfect portrayals, misleading people to think of the product as a
‘need’.
Arguments for why advertising is not always misleading: the use of informative and
educational advertisements to educate the public and convey factual messages (e.g.
Advertisement against the dangers of smoking, social ills such as gambling)
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7. Consider the value of idleness
- Scripts are expected to define the concept of idleness – rest, inaction, short periods of
break, relaxed lifestyle
- Some interpreted idleness as ‘not following a certain policy’ – which is irrelevant.
- Students can argue that there is little value to idleness – it causes intense alienation with
the fast-paced society, negative image as someone who is loafing, it can also cause the
loss of chances to be ahead. They must balance it with some consideration that there is
some value to idleness.
- Student can argue that there is value to idleness: quiet moments away from stress to recharge, introspective moments to think and reflect, savouring the pleasures of life, an
antidote to the pressure of the rat race.
- Good scripts should link to the wider cultural and historical context in the justification of
the values of idleness
- Weak scripts have a fuzzy idea of idleness and do not adopt a balanced view.
8. Scientific research should know no bounds. Discuss. (*)
- The focus of the question should be on scientific research, rather than technology.
- Weak scripts will be example-driven and descriptive, without a clear focus on whether
there should be limits to scientific research. Examples are outdated.
- A major flaw in most of the responses is that they do not frame arguments. The
response talks about ‘playing god’, but does not elaborate on the argument.
- Good scripts should deal with a range of scientific fields from medical, genetics to
biological warfare research – even animal testing.
- Students should point out the need to limit research to prevent ethical harm. Scientists
are accountable to society and should be regulated when they venture into research
that threatens humanity (e.g. cloning, biological warfare, robotics).
- Good scripts should touch on the pursuit of knowledge and fulfillment of intellectual
curiosity as a counter-argument against limitation.
9. Is equality a beneficial goal for a society? (*)
- Conceptual understanding of equality should be clear:
It could refer to “formal equality, which means the distribution of legal and political
rights based on the assumption that all men are ‘born’ equal.”
It could refer to “equality in opportunities which means that everyone has the same
starting point or equal life chances (but this may justify social inequality because talents
are undistributed)”
It could also refer to “equality in outcomes, which means that there is an equal
distribution of income, wealth and other social goods to promote justice and
community” (Heywood, 2002)
- Weak scripts just equate equality with similar outcomes
- Students can also discussion areas associated with income, social-economic status,
gender, ethnicity, decision-making rights by the citizens
- Weak scripts would give inappropriate examples and list different types of equality and
drawbacks, without showing whether it is beneficial.
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Counter argument: Income inequality is necessary to promote justice and progress
because the talents and skills must be rewarded differently
Governments also give the poor more opportunities by providing welfare and leveling
them up to a certain extent.
Equality in opportunities is beneficial because it promotes economic progress and is a
fundamental human right that gives access to social opportunities regardless of status.
Political equality in terms of opportunities - equal representation to the minorities (one
man, one vote in democracies).
Better scripts should show links to concepts of egalitarianism, democracy, socialism,
communism in the justification of their arguments. Good scripts should also make the
point - whether equality is a beneficial goal depends on the needs of the society.
10. Is asking questions more important than finding answers?
- Asking questions could encourage a person to ponder, reflect, become a more analytical
person, encourages problem solving
- Consider that certain philosophical questions may hold no answers but encourages
reflection and a step closer to the truth
- Finding answers may be de-limiting oneself in the scope of pursuit of knowledge
- Without answers, there could be no incentive to ask questions and no closure to the
question
- Good answers should also link the implications of this question to the progress of
science and education
11. ‘More choice is not always better.’ Discuss.
- Scripts are expect to show balance and take note of the implication of the word ‘always’:
more choice could cause bewilderment and confusion or more choice could slow down
decision-making
- Students could argue that more choice is not always better because a person might not
have the maturity to make the right choice from the increased choices.
- Students should consider arguments – more choice gives more variety and pleasures of
discriminating between more options; more choice could bring about empowerment
from the freedom to choose from more options, more choice fosters economic
competition and consumer welfare
- Good scripts contextualize to the trends of the world and relate them to how they give
rise to more choices – e.g. technological advancement and affluence giving more choices
12. Is it possible to lead a simple life today? (*)
- A simple life could be minimalist, observes a certain degree of austerity and doing away
without excessive material trappings.
- A simple life should not be confused with a physical location (like the rural countryside),
becoming poor, or avoiding the use of technology (like the Amish community). It is not
entirely a carefree life.
- Scripts are expected to show an awareness of today’s globalised context and its
implication on the possibility of leading a simple life
- Scripts are expected to focus on the possibility of leading a simple life in today’s context.
It is crucial to define a simple life appropriately.
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The whole purpose of simple living is to achieve a focused, meaningful and fulfilling life
in a complicated society that pulls people in so many directions.
Students could argue that it depends on expectations of the material standards of living,
culture of excesses and mindsets imposed on people.
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