Three Governments I Admire

Do you live in Switzerland, Norway, or Singapore? You’re in luck. Your political leaders are competent. Switzerland's constitution centers power at the regional level. Its Federal Government has less authority. This is why the Swiss have responsible fiscal governance. Populist tribes at the Federal level don’t get money to waste on suboptimal programs. Norway has the good fortune to sit atop massive oil fields. It supplies domestic energy consumption from renewable sources. Norway sells its oil windfall to other countries. It controls one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Responsible fiscal governance means Norway has more options to deal with challenges. Singapore's pragmatic leadership moved it from poverty to affluence in one generation. It doesn’t run budget surpluses, but its federal debt load is reasonable. Its creative government leadership leads with pragmatic foresight. One example: Singapore is the largest land owner in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.…