Parliament and Public Policy Making Under Ghana's Fourth Republic, 1993-2008
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Date
2012-05
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
The role of Parliament in the policy making in Ghana has been found to be limited as the
institution has suffered from the unstable political environment within which it operated
especially from independence in 1957 to 1992. The lack of consistency and continuity of
democratic governance undermined Parliament's ability to be properly institutionalized and
benefit from path dependency.
The inauguration of the Fourth Republic and the restoration of parliamentary democracy brought
in its wake a parliament that was, to all intents and purposes, a one party parliament house of
the boycott of the 1992 parliamentary elections by a coalition of opposition parties. The lack of
virile opposition not withstanding. Parliament discharged its duties creditably, albeit modestly.
The first parliament faced enormous challenges such as lack of personnel with institutional
memory, MPs with little or no experience in parliamentary procedures and practices, weak
support systems such as a poor library facilities. weak research base, lack of financial autonomy.
excessive partisanship, weak committee system and poor condition of service of MPs among
others.
The study demonstrates that Parliament of Ghana works within a constitutional framework called
the hybrid system that tilts power in favour of the executive and leaves parliament almost at the
mercy of the magnanimity of the President in terms of resource allocation. Parliament also
operates within a constitutional framework that largely subordinates II to the executive by
promoting an institutional configuration that results in the depletion of its core materials for the
purpose of forming government
The study revealed that the combining effect of weak institutional configuration and the growing
demands on the MP to provide both public and private goods have literally produced MPs who
are keen in catching the President's eye rather than the Speaker's eye. In the process, MPs have
become utility maximizers because of the desire to protect one's political fortunes.
The study recommends that considering the growing demand for institutional efficiency and
good governance, there is the need for a total institutional re-configuration to balance the power
between the legislature and the executive. It also recommends rigorous development of the
institutional capacity of Parliament to enable it playa meaningful role in policy making in the
country.
Description
PhD in Political Science
Keywords
Ghana, Parliament, Public Policy, Government, Decision making