undeniably indispensable as it upholds laws that protect the free market and guarantee the validity of contracts, which are both essential for economic growth by providing stable business conditions. Although one cannot invariably assume that a strong state is always a barrier to GDP growth, proved by the example of Singapore, the
intrusive actions characteristic of strong states may incur agency dilemmas and cause the warping of free-markets that impede the development of the economy. Examples of laissez-faire successes such as Hong Kong prove that a strong state is absolutely not a requirement for economic growth.
31
