Browsing by Author "Gyimah-Boadi, E."
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Item Another step forward for ghana(Journal of Democracy, 2009-04) Gyimah-Boadi, E.On 7 January 2009, President John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) handed over power to John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), marking Ghana's second peaceful transition of power from incumbent party to opposition and providing the country with yet another opportunity to deepen its democratic processes and institutions. Meaningful reforms must aim at building institutions and structures that will reduce the incentives for state capture and partisan abuse. In particular, these should include reform of the excessively powerful executive; development of an oil-sector regulatory and governance framework that provides for maximum transparency, accountability, and equity in the use of the new oil-generated revenues; and tax reforms to expand the revenue base and improve compliance.Item Aspirations and realities in Africa: II. democratic delivery falls short(Journal of Democracy, 2019-07) Gyimah-Boadi, E.A growing number of media and scholarly analysts report a loss of faith in democracy and its institutions, processes, and broad outcomes among citizens in many regions of the world. Findings from waves of Afrobarometer surveys since 1999 and recent developments in the domestic politics of many African countries indicate that the continent and its citizens are generally bucking this negative trend, at least in terms of popular aspirations. Democracy advocates and policy actors must identify ways to sustain and deepen African attachment to democratic values while encouraging intransigent leaders to address gaps in democratic supply.Item Civil Society and Governance(CDD-Ghana, 2008) Gyimah-Boadi, E.; Markovits, M.T.This chapter reviews and analyzes the contributions of Ghanaian civil society to democratic development since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1993. The central argument is that the space for civil society has been slowly but steadily expanding, that it plays an important role in the promotion of good governance, and that its growth and relevance can partially be attributed to civil society itself. Further contributions of civil society to democracy in Ghana, however, are constrained by several factors; environmental, cultural, political, economic, as well as ones that have to do with its current nature. Three key questions are addressed; first, how has civil society changed in Ghana? Second, what role has it played in fostering good governance? And third, what are some obstacles that prevent civil society from making a more significant contribution to democracy in the country?Item Constituencies for reform in Ghana(Journal of Modern African Studies, 2001-06) Bratton, M.; Lewis, P.; Gyimah-Boadi, E.The attitudes of ordinary people in Africa towards the liberalisation of politics and economies are not well known. Are there popular constituencies for reform? Which specific reform measures do different social groups accept or reject? And does popular support for structural adjustment, if any, go together with support for democracy? In an effort to find answers, this article reports results of a national sample survey in Ghana conducted in July 1999 as part of the Afrobarometer. The survey finds that the constituency for democracy is broader than the constituency for market reform, which is concentrated among educated male elites. In addition, while most Ghanaians are patient with democracy and want to retain this political regime, most Ghanaians are fatigued with adjustment and want the government to 'change its policies now'. Given this distribution of popular preferences, one can surmise that democracy will be easier to consolidate than a market-based economy.Item The Contribution of Civil Society in Avoiding Natural Resource Curse in Ghana: The Case of Oil(University of Ghana, 2013-07) Graham, E.; Iddi, Z.; Gyimah-Boadi, E.Ghana is a country endowed with rich mineral resources. However, for many years, Ghana has not been able to translate the mineral resources into broad economic wealth for the people. Therefore, when Ghana discovered oil in 2007, many people did not believe that Ghana would use its oil resources to create wealth for the people. The general fears were that Ghana could fall into the oil curse situation. The study investigated the contribution of Civil Society in avoiding oil curse in Ghana. Based on empirical analysis of relevant data, the study found that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have helped Ghana from falling in the resource curse; CSOs have facilitated legislative enactments that guaranteed transparency and accountability in the management of Ghana’s oil sector. It did this by instigating the passage of the PRMA 815, which established the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) and the Heritage Fund in the (PRMA 815), amongst others. CSOs have carried advocacy on the negative effects of oil and gas on the environment and social lives of the people in the coastal communities. Despite these, CSOs are confronted with some challenges such as, difficulties in access to information, inadequate capacity building, limited extent of outreach, stigmatization and diminishing funds. Only through the passage of the right to information bill would allow CSO to gain easy access to useful information to enhance their monitoring of the management of the oil resources, government must be committed to transparency and accountability, civil society ought to address the challenges facing them dispassionately and finally, Ghana should design a development strategy for the oil revenues and use them for economic, social and infrastructural development of the country. All, these can strengthen CSO capacity to promote the effective management of Ghana’s oil resources and thus escape the oil curse.Item Governance, Democracy and Development in Africa: Developing a Cultural Approach(U.N African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, 2002) Gyimah-Boadi, E.; Yankah, K.; Gadzekpo, A.Item Oil, politics, and Ghana's democracy(Journal of Democracy, 2012-07) Gyimah-Boadi, E.; Kwasi Prempeh, H.Africa's natural resource-rich countries tend to combine mismanagement of their "windfall" with poor record of democratic governance. However, for Ghana, which has recently become an oil producer, the prospect of escaping the "resource curse" is decent - largely on account of its current status as an electoral democracy. While the prevailing democratic political environment has contributed positively to the crafting of policy governing the new oil sector, and legislation and nascent institutions partially justify such optimism, severe deficiencies in contemporary Ghanaian politics, together with the new resource's aggravation of the country's patronage-fuelled democracy and acrimonious political competition, give cause for caution. © 2012 National Endowment for Democracy and The Johns Hopkins University Press.Item A peaceful turnover in Ghana(Journal of Democracy, 2001-04) Gyimah-Boadi, E.With longtime ruler Jerry Rawlings obeying constitutional term limits, the opposition won a narrow electoral victory, bringing Ghana its first peaceful transfer of power since independence.Item Political Parties and Party Politics(CDD-Ghana, 2008) Gyimah-Boadi, E.; Debrah, E.Political parties are widely regarded among the key institutions of modern democracy. In contrast to the Madisonian view that regards parties as ‘sinister interests’ capable of undermining, perverting or usurping the popular will of the majority, contemporary democratic governance is anchored on parties. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine politics without parties in contemporary democratic states. Parties are revered as institutions that bring people together for the purpose of exercising political power within the state: parties are the institutions that provide the linkage between citizens and the political process in democratic polities; party platforms offer the best possible arenas for aggregating diverse interests and passions into coherent system-wide mix of public policies, among others. It is against this backdrop that this chapter examines the nature and quality of party politics in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, and the contribution they have made or are making towards the economic, social and democratic development in GhanaItem Political Parties and Party Politics(CDD Accra, 2008) Debrah, E.; Gyimah-Boadi, E.Political parties are widely regarded among the key institutions of modern democracy. In contrast to the Madisonian view that regards parties as ‘sinester interests’ capable of undermining, perverting or usurping the popular will of the majority, contemporary democratic governance is anchored on parties. Indeed, it is parties that are revered as institutions that bring people together for the purpose of exercising political power within the state: parties are the institutions that provide the linkage between citizens and the political process in democratic politics; party platforms offer the best possible arenas for aggregating diverse interests and passion into coherent system-wide mix of public policiesItem Public opinion, democracy, and market reform in Africa(Public Opinion, Democracy, and Market Reform in Africa, 2004) Bratton, M.; Mattes, R.; Gyimah-Boadi, E.Based on the Afrobarometer, a survey research project, this examination of public opinion in sub-Saharan Africa reveals what ordinary Africans think about democracy and market reforms, subjects on which almost nothing is otherwise known. The authors reveal that widespread support for democracy in Africa is shallow and that Africans consequently feel trapped between state and market. Although they are learning about reform through knowledge and experience, it is assumed that few countries are likely to attain full-fledged democratic market status anytime soon. © Michael Bratton, Robert Mattes, and E. Gyimah-Boadi 2005 Cambridge University Press 2010.Item Taking Account of Past Legacies: Reflections on Military Rule in Ghana(Dept. of Political Science/ FES, 2007) Gyimah-Boadi, E.As the experience with military rule in Ghana recedes into the distant past, contemporary analysis has become increasingly revisionist. National shortcomings and failures are squarely blamed on military regimes while successes and achievements are directly or indirectly credited to their civilian counterparts. This impulse to demonize military regimes in a wholesale manner may be understandable as an expression of popular support for multi-party representative democracy and commitment of Ghanaians to put behind them the many years of military rule in a democratic age. The essay reviews the record of Ghana’s military regimes and rulers, highlighting their cumulative positive and negative legacies and analyzes their implications for the current and future progress of the countryItem The UG Humanities Program’s Contribution To The Building Of Prosperous, Inclusive, Democratic Ghana: Random Thoughts And Reflections(University of Ghana., 2023-03-29) Gyimah-Boadi, E.