Beyond Elections: Ghana's Democracy from the Perspective of the Citizenry Ransford Osafo-Danso Walden University
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2015 Beyond Elections: Ghana's Democracy from the Perspective of the Citizenry Ransford Osafo-Danso Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Political Science Commons, Public Administration Commons, and the Public Policy Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Ransford Osafo-Danso has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Lori Demeter, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Gloria Billingsley, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Kathleen Schulin, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2015 Abstract Beyond Elections: Ghana’s Democracy from the Perspective of the Citizenry by Ransford Osafo-Danso MPA, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, 2009 BA, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, 2006 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy & Administration Walden University May 2015 Abstract Ghana’s democracy has been hailed by scholars, practitioners, and the international community in recent years as a shining example in the West African subregion as a result of the country’s record of organizing successive elections with minimal or no violence. However, the evaluation of Ghana’s democracy has predominantly focused on the elections and disproportionately captures the views of the political elite; conspicuously missing is the perspective of the ordinary Ghanaian. This presents an incomplete picture of Ghana’s democracy, given the relevance of citizens’ participation in democratic societies. To address this gap in knowledge, this qualitative case study explored the practice of democracy in Ghana under the fourth republic from the perspective of the citizenry. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with purposefully sampled ordinary Ghanaian citizens (n = 15), observation, and documents review. The data were then subjected to thematic and content analysis to reveal themes, categories, and patterns. The results revealed that the participating Ghanaians had dichotomous views, opinions, and experiences of democracy. Their experiences and opinions of the electoral system were generally positive, while their experiences and opinions of governance in the intervening years were generally negative. The study’s results should inspire a paradigm shift in the responsiveness of government to citizens and how the government engages with citizens on policy formulation and implementation. This study’s results can encourage positive social change with respect to the manner in which democratic performance is evaluated in Ghana by scholars, practitioners, and the international community. Beyond Elections: Ghana’s Democracy from the Perspective of the Citizenry by Ransford Osafo-Danso MPA, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, 2009 BA, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, 2006 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy & Administration Walden University May 2015 Dedication To the real hero of my education journey, Mrs. Christiana Danso (my mother), for your selflessness and support. I could never have arrived here without the foundation you laid; this dissertation is dedicated to you. To my extended family for unconditional love and support. To my friends for the many times I bothered you with my frustrations. To Mrs. Rosemary Oppong and family. To my siblings, Mrs. Eunice Obeng, Mr. Kwame Nyarko, Mr. Tenkorang Danso, Mr. Dealius Daniel Danso (Shia ts3), and Mr. Owusu Agyeman Danso (Poki). To my beautiful wife Awurama and daughters Nana Adwoa and Maame Nhyira. Acknowledgments I am grateful to the Almighty God for the grace that saw me through this process. I am forever indebted to Dr. Lori Demeter, my committee chair, for her guidance and selflessness throughout the dissertation process. I am deeply convinced that without her expertise and knowledge this experience would have been difficult, if not impossible. I am grateful for her diligence, dedication, and mentoring throughout the dissertation phase of my doctoral journey. May God bless you abundantly. My profound gratitude goes to Dr. Gloria Billingsley for placing her expertise at my disposal by serving on the committee. Thank you for the timely and insightful feedbacks. May God bless you and yours. I am equally indebted to the participants of this study for availing themselves and sharing their experiences and opinions on Ghana’s democracy with me. Thank you Dr. Christopher Opoku-Agyemang for your advice during this process, I appreciate it. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Akosua Anim Kusi-Amankwah for being part of the foundation that even made this dream possible. I do not forget easily, and I hope a mere mention of your name here will immortalize your contribution to my life. From the bottom of heart, thank you. To my parents, I say ayekoo. You believed in me before any other person did. Mrs. Christian Antwiwaa Danso and Nana Danso Abiam, I am grateful for the love and support. To my better half Awurama and my beautiful daughters, Nana Adwoa and Maame Nhyira, you guys were my inspiration when it got tough. I did this for you guys. To my siblings and their families, I can never repay you for the investments you have made in my life. I couldn’t ask for a better band of brothers to look up to. God bless you. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................... 3 Statement of Problem .....................................................................................................6 Research Questions ........................................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7 Conceptual Framework for the Study ..........................................................................10 Operational Definition of Terms ..................................................................................11 Assumptions and Limitations ......................................................................................13 Significance of Study ...................................................................................................14 Summary ......................................................................................................................16 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................18 Introduction ..................................................................................................................18 Conceptualizing and Defining Democracy ..................................................................19 Minimalist Theory of Democracy ......................................................................... 20 Deliberative Theory of Democracy ...................................................................... 23 Appraising Impacts of Democratic Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa .....................25 Overview of Ghana’s Socio-Political Landscape and Civil Society ...........................31 Civic Engagement in Ghana ........................................................................................32 Religion and Civic Engagement in Ghana ............................................................ 32 i Ethnicity and Civic Engagement in Ghana ........................................................... 38 Gender and Civic Engagement in Ghana .............................................................. 42 Historical Overview of Ghana’s Democratic Development ........................................48 Ghana’s Government Structure and Functions ............................................................54 The Executive ....................................................................................................... 55 The Judiciary ......................................................................................................... 58 The Legislature ..................................................................................................... 61 The Electoral Commission ...........................................................................................64 Overview of Ghana’s Elections