Singapore currently has a Westminster-style parliamentary republic with a unicameral Parliament, a Prime Minister as head of government, and a directly elected President as head of state. The government describes it as a sovereign republic with three branches: Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary.

Quick Scoop

  • System: Parliamentary republic.
  • Model: Westminster system.
  • Legislature: Unicameral Parliament.
  • Head of Government: Prime Minister.
  • Head of State: Elected President.

What that means

In practice, the Prime Minister and Cabinet run the government, while Parliament makes laws and the Judiciary interprets them. Singapore’s political structure follows the Westminster tradition, but it has its own local features, including elected and nominated parliamentary roles.

One-line version

Singapore is best described as a republic with a parliamentary Westminster system , not a presidential system.