ISBN 9789988771669
Pages 392
Dimensions 234 x 156 mm
Published 2006
Publisher Freedom Publications, Ghana
Format Paperback

Voting for Democracy in Ghana. The 2004 Elections in Perspective Vol.2

Constituency Studies

edited by Kwame Boafo-Arthur

Ghana's 2004 elections were another milestone in the country's transition to a mature democracy. The essays in this volume cover about 50 constituencies studied during the 2004 elections. They assess on the bases of evidence from each set of constituencies the quality of democratic governance, focusing on key issues such as political participation, the dynamics of political choice, the electoral system as well as the challenges and prospects of democracy. Some of the major conclusions are that few Ghanaians are registered party members though they take active part in other political activities, electoral politics may be captured by a few wealthy individuals and groups if the issue of party financing is not addressed dispassionately and promptly; local/community factor and concerns are the greatest influence on voters choices; factors such as ethnicity do not have a decisive influence on voting behavior even where they appear visibly powerful in electoral politics. Above all Ghanaians appreciate the value of competitive elections.

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About the Editor

Kwame Boafo-Arthur

Kwame Boafo-Arthur is currently Head, Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, and Legon. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon and a Master of Arts degree also in Political Science from Carleton University, Ottawa, having obtained his first degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana. He is also a Barrister at Law and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana. He has been a Visiting Scholar/Fellow at various institutions, notably: Nordic African Institute, Uppsala in Sweden, African Studies Centre, Leiden in the Netherlands, and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the UK. He was also a Fulbright Senior African Research Scholar at the James S. Coleman African Studies Centre, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1998. He has published extensively on subjects covering Ghana’s political economy, international economic relations, foreign policy, civil society, the environment, and African development.

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