Ghana

Ghana has witnessed a 'revolution through the ballot box', since its return to constitutional rule in 1993. Yet this period of sustained democratic government in an era of globalization and liberal triumphalism has brought with it new demands. How has Ghana faced up to the problems of institution-building, state-market relations and democratic leadership? Can it deal with the challenges posed by security, human rights and foreign policy in the twenty-first century? This unique collection interrogates all these issues and assesses the future of the democratic experiment in one of sub-Saharan Africa's rare 'islands of peace'.

Kwame Boafo-Arthur is Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana. Kwame Boafo-Arthur is Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana.

List of Contributors; Acknowledgements; Acronyms 1. A Decade of Liberalism in Perspective - Kwame Boafo-Arthur Introduction; The Road to Democracy: Brief Overview; Liberal Triumphalism; Features of Liberalism and its Assumed Benefits; The Liberal Ghanaian State in Perspective; Conclusion; Bibliography. 2. Trends in the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights under the 1992 Constitution - Kofi Quashigah; Human Rights as a significant element of Good Governance; A Sketch of trends in human rights prior to the 1992 Constitution; Human Rights Under the 1992 Constitution; Nature of the rights protected under the 1992 Constitution; The Human Rights Jurisdiction of the High Court and Supreme Court; The importance of Article 33(5); The Interpretative approach of the Courts; The Civil and Political Rights; A Fling at the Economic and Social Rights; The debate over the nature of the Directive Principles of State Policy; The developing jurisprudence through the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice; Legislative Initiatives; Children's Act; Criminal Libel; Some Specific Rights Considered; Personal Liberty; Media Freedom; Right to Education; Rights of Children; Rights of Women; HIV/AIDS; Environmental Rights; Rights of the Vulnerable and excluded; Economic Social and Cultural Rights; The Transitional Provisions and National Reconciliation; The Transitional Provisions; The National Reconciliation Commission; Conclusion; Bibliography 3. Challenges of Economic Growth in a Liberal Economy - G. Kwaku Tsikata Introduction; Political Instability Factor; Objective; The Challenges of Economic Growth; Background; Development Goal; Analytical Approach; Democratic Environment and the Problem of Growth; The Degree of Market Orientation and Government; Intervention; Diagrammatic Exposition of the Growth - Market Orientation Correlation; The Trajectory of, and Constraints on, Growth; General Analysis of the Trends; Out-Turns Of Selected Macroeconomic Variables; The Structure of the Economy; The Total Factor Productivity (TFP) Problem; Human Capital Formation Problem; The Secondary School System; The Tertiary Education System; The Savings Gap, Capital Flight and Transformation; Problems and Venture Capitalism; Conspicuous Consumerism versus Venture Capitalism; Business Growth and Investment/Ownership Challenge; Sectoral Considerations; Growth in The Agricultural Sector; Cocoa Sub-Sector; The Agricultural Sector and Rural Development Nexus; Growth in the Industrial Sector; Impact of the Mining Sub-Sector; Environmental Considerations; The Significance of the Salt Industry; The Services Sector; Tourism; The Brain Drain and Brain Gain Arguments; International Perspectives of the Growth Problem; Globalization and Export-Led Growth; The External Debt Burden and Aid Dependency; Foreign Direct Investment and the Growth Problem; Favouritism and Corruption; Conclusion; Bibliography 4. Markets and Liberal Democracy - Kwame A. Ninsin Introduction; Democratic Consolidation since 1993; Democracy and Agency; Economic Growth and Citizenship; Governance as Democracy; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography 5. Institutions and Economic Performance: Ghana's Experience under the Fourth Republic, 1992-2002 - Nicholas Amponsah Introduction; Significance of Institutions in Creating an Enabling Economic Environment; Exploring the Literature on Institutions, Investment and Economic Performance; Institutional Credibility and Private Investment: Analysis from Survey Data; Encountering State Institutions in Ghana; Bureaucratic Bottlenecks and "KALABULE"; Levels of bureaucratic authority; The Persistent Land Issue and Investment Prospects; Trust for the Primary Institutions of Governance; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography 6. Political Conflict and Elite Consensus in the Liberal State - Alexander K. D. Frempong Introduction; Theoretical Issues; Liberal Democracy; Political Conflict; Elite Consensus; Brief Historical Background; The Transition Programme; The 1992 Elections and Aftermath; The Electoral Commission and Consensus Building; Contested Issues (1993-1996); VAT, AFC, 'Kume Preko'; The Arkaah Factor; The Abban Affair; The 1996 Elections; The Undercurrents; The Poll; The Renewed Mandate; Government; Parliament; Political Succession; Election 2000; The Electoral Milieu; The Running Mate Conundrum; The Presidential Run-off; The Dividends; The Post-Rawlings Era; Kufuor's First Hundred Days And After; The Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic; The NDC in Opposition; Conclusion; Bibliography 7. A Decade of Political Leadership in Ghana, 1993-2004- Joseph R. A. Ayee Introduction; Defining leadership; The context of political leadership in Ghana; Leadership performance; Maintaining the cohesion of the administration; Developing strategic policy direction; The relationship between bureaucrats and politicians; The personal dimension; Conclusion: some lessons; Bibliography 8. The Security Agencies and National Security in a Decade of Liberalism - Kumi Ansah-Koi Introduction; Ghana's National Security Agencies; Liberalism, Constitutionalism, and Ghana's National Security: Review of a Decade; Conclusions; Notes; Bibliography 9. Organized Labour and the Liberal State - A. Essuman Johnson Introduction; Labour-State Relations 1956-1982 (Adu-Amankwah, 1990); NRC-Union Relations; Structural Adjustment and the Restoration of the Liberal State; The PNDC and Organized Labour; The Restoration of the Liberal State; The Policy Imperatives of the Liberal State; The effects of the policy imperatives on Labour: The Redeployment; Programme; Privatization; The Response of the Civil Servants' Association; The Response of the TUC; ICU Informal; GAWU Informal; The Labour Enterprise Trust (LET); The Labour Act 2003 (Labour Act, 2003); The TUC and Internal Conflict Management; Labour-Private Enterprise Relations; Labour and Political Parties; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography 10. The Liberal Ghanaian State and Foreign Policy: The Dynamics of Change and Continuity - Kwame Boafo-Arthur Introduction; Debates on Change and Continuity; Rationale for Foreign Policy Continuity under the NDC The NDC and the International System; Searching for Peace in the Sub-Region; Liberia and Sierra Leone; The Rest of the World; The NPP and the International Community; The Policy of Good Neighbourliness; The Rest of Africa; The NPP and the wider International Community; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography 11. Women and Politics in Ghana: 1993-2003 - Beatrix Allah-Mensah Introduction; Women and Politics: 1956-1966; The Period of Democratic Disengagement; The Provisional National Defence Council and Women in Ghana: 1982-1992; Women and the Constitution Making Process: 1991-1992; Women and the Consultative Assembly; Women and Local Level Politics In Ghana: 1988-2002; Women and Political Participation at the National Level: 1993-2003; Political Parties and Women's Political Roles; The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Women; The New Patriotic Party (NPP); The People's National Convention (PNC); The Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP); The Convention People's Party (CPP); Women and the 2000 General Elections; Political Party Structures and Women in Politics; Select and Standing Committees in Parliament; IBIS and Women's Political Empowerment; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography