Nation-State Building and Fostering the Culture of Honest Government: A Study of the Culture of Honest Government in the West and in Asia

　　Abstract: There is a high correlation between fostering a culture of honest government and nation-state building. This paper surveys a variety of cases across the West and in Asia, and specifically focus on the nation-state building processes of the United States and Singapore as two evidences in manifestation of this argument. The leadership’s love for the country often results high moral values, clean governance and high devotion to public interests. A nation state which citizens are inculcated with a strong sense of nationhood has greater propensity to develop societal values that befits the national interests, and to foster moral values like equality, justice, honesty and philanthropy. Efforts at developing the society and the economy, and strengthening of patriotic education are important ways to raise the sense of nationhood.