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Third Party Government and Legitimacy: The Role of the National Trade Union Congress in Singapore

The move from government to governance and the corresponding rise in the number and use of third‐party tools by government has led to a new paradigm variously called New Public Management or “new governance.” While this paradigm provides a strong framework for tool management and evaluation, it initiates a political paradox: how then do governments secure legitimacy? At the same time, it also fails to explain the high use of third‐party governance by governments. This paper develops the notion of “distancing and blaming” and argues that part of NPM appeal lies in its ability to provide a new answer to an old problem – the need to legitimize policies. Trade unions in Singapore provide a relevant case study.