ONE of the factors influencing my decision to attend graduate school in America was the opportunity to witness, first-hand, the process and outcome of the 2008 US presidential elections.

But as Massachusetts was not a swing state - having consistently voted Democrat for the last four presidential elections - I found myself sequestered in a university that was more a hotbed of punditry rather than real debate.

In the graduate lounge, as I eagerly anticipated the outcome of a bitterly fought fight, news of swing states voting for Mr Barack Obama started trickling in - Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida - and the tide of electoral votes going his way changed from slow to inexorable.

By the time Mr John McCain delivered his concession speech, a throng of 200 students had spontaneously gathered outside in Harvard Square. Amid the cacophony of car horns, wild celebrations and cheers, I wondered, what sort of change should we expect?

Pundits say Mr Obama is just like a human Rorschach test - liberals identify with him, moderates claim him as their own. Whites, blacks, students, he united many diverse groups to his cause, including the traditionally Republican Latino vote and those who felt 'othered' by the policies of the previous administration.

The world now waits with bated breath not Mr Obama the media and oratory phenomenon, but President Obama - and it wonders what he will strive for, represent and achieve in his first term.

The brand new international face, and a new international image for America, was summed up by The New York Times as: 'Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.'

But enough about America. What about Singapore? I do not believe we will bear witness to the same brand of political activism or political culture. Many would find it incompatible with the grain of our society.

Still, it was the patriotism - albeit with dozens of different implications - of the millions of Americans, whatever their political affiliation, and their political vigour, which moved me.

What a great day it would be in Singapore if as many people cared about our country and its problems as fervently. If we all had an informed stand about problems, policies and our politics. If we shook off our apathy and embraced a bottom-up approach, rather than wait for top-down measures.

A difference in political system and culture aside, I suppose what I am wishing for is a more active civil society.

Society as a whole needs to decide for itself what civil society encompasses, how vibrant it should be, in order to envision and implement change we can all believe in.

The question for us, then, is - can we?

Andre Oei, 22, is a graduate student at Harvard University.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 10, 2008.