Trigger: In the subway system, we can see evidence of the fiscal discipline and cost efficiency of U.S. vs SG. Adjusted for ridership, I suspect the budget is no higher in SG, but the quality is much better in terms of frequency, weekend /availability/, cleanliness, probability of delays, customer service, wear-n-tear of equipment,,,

Let’s look beyond the subway. Most Americans, rich or poor, get a lousy deal in terms of public service per tax dollar. U.S. corporations and individuals pay much higher taxes, but governments run deficits every year. Therefore, public debt increases every year to cover the deficit. Without enough data, I can only hypothesize that SG system is more judicious with public spending.

One exception to prove the rule — U.S. social security administration is efficient (according to various sources). Other public service providers are inefficient.

Americans rely on private transport much more than Singapore residents. Similarly, top American employers spend a lot to provide employees the “public” service that’s wanted but missing. In other words, private employers step in to cover the gap between public services and employees’ needs.

— government deficit .. Looking into the numbers, another reason for the excellent service/tax ratio in Singapore is the non-tax income to the SG government. That includes profit from government-linked companies, and sovereign funds.

I guess a less discussed reason is rEstate appreciation, which is stronger in SG. I guess that land sale revenue (to government) has grown over the decades. Also, many local rEstate assets are owned by government-linked companies, and these assets appreciate much faster than in the U.S.