Financing Political Parties under the Fourth Republic of Ghana
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Date
2015-06
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University of Ghana
Abstract
The way political parties mobilize funds for their activities is recognized as an essential determinant of their internal democratic politics. This study examines the financing of political parties in Ghana. It is based on the hypothesis that the dependence of political parties on some wealthy members of society for funding affects their capacity to achieve internal democracy.
The study obtained primary data from a total sample of 1,111. This was made of a survey of 1,006 card holding members of four political parties, (the National Democratic Congress, New Patriotic Party, People’s National Convention and Convention People’s Party), which are consistently represented in Parliament; 105 interviews conducted with ordinary and executive members of political parties, public institutions and civil society in Ghana; and the relevant financial records of political parties provided by the Electoral Commission. The data analysis was guided by the rational choice institutional theory which sees members of political parties as rational political actors who provide funding to, or withhold funding from, political parties based on their calculation of the potential political and economic benefits.
Three key findings were uncovered by the study. First, contextual variables including the political environment, the economic status of citizens, the socio-cultural environment, and organizational factors have accounted for the inability of political parties to mobilize resources from their grassroots members. Second, party financing has, therefore, relied heavily on some wealthy members of society who use their power to control, to their advantage, the internal democratic politics of the parties. Third, neopatrimonial politics has emerged within political parties, where poor members sell their votes to wealthy politicians during the election of party representatives.
Based on the findings, the study recommends some form of state support, building capacity for effective party organization and enforcement of the rules and regulation governing funding of political parties to enhance democratic politics in Ghana.
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Thesis (MPhil.)
Keywords
Democracy, Political Parties, Financing, Ghana