A meritocracy is a form of government where leaders and others within that government are chosen and move forward based on merit or ability. A meritocracy may seem like a simple form of government, but there are relatively few in the world. One of the only meritocracies in existence is located in Singapore.

A meritocracy, as a government, looks for those with the best abilities and therefore rewards those who perform accordingly. Identifying those with ability may be done through testing with educational materials, looking at past experience, or a combination of such assessments. Some critics charge this form of government is highly discriminatory because it may automatically discredit some who have capable skills, yet are not quite as intelligent as others.

Indeed, in Singapore, some children may be conditioned and targeted for greater enrichment at a particular age, based on aptitude. In some cases, it is possible these children may not be free to choose their own career paths or be exposed to all possible options. In such cases, a meritocracy can be very limiting to a well-rounded development.

In these situations, the trade-off is that those who are chosen to be inducted into this program are likely to live a life of privilege, never having to want for anything. Those in a meritocracy usually work their way through lower levels of government, gaining experience as they go. In some ways, this may not be any different than lower level government employees in other types of settings gaining experience and working their way up the ladder, being given more responsibility over time.

Unlike other forms of government, in a meritocracy there is often no limit to how far a person may advance in a meritocracy. In other types of governments, once a bureaucrat reaches a certain level, they may only be able to advance by appointment. This appointment may be based partly on merit, but there are usually political considerations that also play a role. In a meritocracy, it is possible that a person could advance to the highest level possible -- even becoming leader of the nation – without having to worry about political considerations.

A meritocracy, according to those who support such a form of government, has the ability to instill a valuable work ethic into individuals more so than other forms of government. If citizens of the country know that advancement is based on merit, they are more likely to do things that will improve their chances, it is assumed. Therefore, they will work and study to prove themselves capable of better things.