The vicissitudes of political science in Ghana

Abstract

The discipline of Political Science has had intriguing vicissitudes since its inception largely because of its relevance to the development of states in both the developed and developing countries. The several concepts that it deals with-such as the state, society power, authority, sovereignty, leadership, democracy, governance, conflict, policy and globalization-are germane not only to the seminal and current literature but also progress and transformation. Against this background, the chapter discusses the evolution of Political Science as an academic discipline in Ghana and its nature and scope. Specifically, it deals with curriculum transformation, ideology and philosophy, methods, empirical underpinnings and policy relevance. The chapter concludes that the future of Political Science is bright because it has a clear trajectory and will continue to contribute to the debate over the needs and concerns of the man in the street, the changing role of the state in all jurisdictions and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. All rights reserved.