THE DYNAMICS OF POLITICAL PARTY ACTIVISM IN GHANA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ACTIVISTS OF THE NDC AND NPP IN WA CENTRALAND LAWRA-NANDOM CONSTITUENCIES, (1992-2008). BY GEORGE MEYIRI BOB-MILLIAR (10256463) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE PHD AFRICAN STUDIES DEGREE JUNE, 2012 i THE DYNAMICS OF POLITICAL PARTY ACTIVISM IN GHANA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ACTIVISTS OF THE NDC AND NPP IN WA CENTRALAND LAWRA-NANDOM CONSTITUENCIES, (1992-2008). BY GEORGE MEYERIBOB-MILLIAR (10256463) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE PHD AFRICAN STUDIES DEGREE JUNE, 2012 i DECLARATIONS I hereby declare that this thesis is a result of my own original research and that no part of it has been presented for another degree in any University or elsewhere. All sources used are duly acknowledged. Candidate’s Signature.......... George Meyiri Bob-Milliar Supervisor’s Signaturi Professor Albert K. Awedoba Supervisor’s Signature Professor A. Essuman-Johnson Supervisor’s Signature Dr. Kojo Opoku Aidoo ABSTRACT Since the inauguration of the Fourth Republic on 7 January 1993, the NDC and NPP have dominated the electoral space. The thesis seeks to explain the motivational basis of political party activism in the Wa Central and Lawra-Nandom constituencies between 1992 and 2008. The research findings were obtained by the application of mixed methods. The study argues that some Ghanaians signed up for the membership of political parties, and became party activists, because of the selective and material incentives the parties dispensed to their members. Political party activism is the process of working to achieve collective party goals. Attitudinal and behavioural traits and the socio-economic status (SES) of activists enable us to group party activists into three categories: patron activists, platform activists, and party foot- soldiers. Party activism operates in two spheres: the formal and informal structures of the parties. The key to understanding why citizens join political parties in Ghana and become active in them lies in a multiplicity of factors. Altruistic, collective, and selective incentives and social norms are the main reasons Ghanaians joined the NDC and NPP. Party activists become contributors to the overall party agenda because they expect the political parties to satisfy their material motives. Citizens who become active in the NDC and NPP understand the possible benefits of their activism and the ways of achieving such goals. Party activists have realized that their “resources” (time, money and civic skills) (cf. Verba, et al., 1995) are valuable, and that they can negotiate for material incentives. Indeed, material incentives stood out strongly as the motive for becoming active in the parties. DEDICATION In Loving Memory of Gaspard Bob-Milliar (1936-1998), also to Kaf for your love ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis would not have been possible without enormous support from several individuals. I would like to acknowledge the invaluable support of my supervisors, especially Professor Albert K. Awedoba. It was mainly due to his encouragement that my MPhil thesis was upgraded into this PhD. Thanks are also due Professor A. Essuman-Johnson and Dr. Kojo Opoku Aidoo. I also wish to thank my other, informal, academic advisors, especially Professors Cyril K. Daddieh, and Paul Alagidede, Dr. Franklin Obeng-Odoom and Bright Boye Kumordzi, for their unflinching support of my academic work; despite their busy schedules they all found time to read portions, and made very valuable suggestions. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the hundreds of activists and foot-soldiers from both the NDC and the NPP who welcomed me and cooperated by agreeing to be interviewed. I am also grateful to the officers at the constituency offices of the NDC and NPP. Thanks are further due to the staff at the research department of the Electoral Commission (Accra). Above all, I would like to thank the Director of Administration at the NPP Headquarters for granting me unfettered access to vital documents on membership. Friends and family have been of more importance than they would know, and I am grateful for all the moral and practical support I have received in doing this research. My heartfelt appreciation is offered to Gloria Kafui Bob-Milliar, my comrade and wife, for her unwavering love, patience, generosity, and support, enabling me to pursue my research in perfect peace and harmony. I am truly thankful to Kafui for enduring more than two years of separation to enable me pursue this program. Her unflinching love and encouragement contributed a lot in the completion of this thesis. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Description Title Page.................................................................................................................................................. 1 Declaration/Signature Page....................................................................................................................11 Abstract................................................................................................................................................... ™ Dedication...............................................................................................................................................1V Acknowledgement.................................................................................................................................. v Table of Contents................................................................................................................................... List of Figures/Maps.............................................................................................................................. xi List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................xii List of Abbreviations...........................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: THE 1992 RE-DEMOCRATISATION WAVE 1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Background and Context................................................................................................................2 1.2 The Problem Statement.....................................................................................................................6 1.3 Research Questions...........................................................................................................................9 1.4 Objectives of the Study....................................................................................................................... 1.5 Operationalization.............................................................................................................. 10 1.6 Significance of Study................................................................................................................ j 2 1.7 Structure of Thesis................................ , 7 1.8 Literature Review........................................................................................................................... 1.8.1 Who Participates in Party Politics...............................................................................................24 1.8.2 Socio-Cultural Cleavages............................... .............................................................................25 1.9 Research Methods and Data Collection........................................................................................ 26 1.9.1 Research Design........................................................................................................................... 26 1.9.2 Data Collection............................................................................................................................ 28 1.9.3 Conducting Field Survey............................................................................................................ 31 1.9.4 Data Analysis............................................................................................................................... 32 1.10 Methodological Challenges and Constraints..............................................................................32 CHAPTER TWO THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 2.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................34 2.2 Civic Voluntarism Model...............................................................................................................35 2.3 Rational Choice Model.................................................................... ..............................................37 2.4 General Incentives Model.............................................................................................................. 39 2.5 Cultural Approach to Comparative Politics.................................................................................. 41 2.6 Conceptual Framework.................................................................................... 45 2.7 Conclusion............................................. CHAPTER THREE A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF PARTY ACTIVISM IN GHANA