Friday 29 January 2016

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST - POLI 444: ELECTORAL POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY IN GHANA



DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
SECOND SEMESTER, 2015/2016
COURSE VENUE: JQB 23
TIME: MON 9:30-11:20; WED 11:30-13:20

LECTURER: A. K. D. FREMPONG
Office Location: F20 Kweku Folson Building, Dept. of Political Science
Office Hours: Monday 7.30-8.30am Friday: 11.30am-1230pm

LECTURER: Dr E. DEDRAH
Office Location: F16 Kweku Folson Building, Dept. of Political Science
Office Hours: Monday 11:30-13:30 Wed 9.30-10:30am
Email: edebrah@ug.edu.gh
Course Title
ELECTORAL POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY IN GHANA

Course Code
POLI 444
Purpose Objectives.
Particularly since the end of the Cold War, democracy and elections have become buzzwords around the globe. Questions however exist as to the nature of democracy and its relationship with elections and democratic consolidation in new democracies in Africa. Ghana since the 1992 ‘founding’ elections has witnessed five other elections and two alternations in power. Even before then, Ghana has had long experience with electoral politics that preceded independence in 1957 and ‘pockets’ of democratic governance in-between military regimes.
This course, against the background of the theoretical analysis of democracy, elections and democratic consolidation, examines the dynamics, intricacies and impacts of electoral politics and democratic governance in Ghana and the prospects for the future. The course is intended to broaden and deepen students’ understanding of these issues to prepare them for educating others on electoral politics and democratic governance.
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
  • Understand the theoretical perspectives of election
  • Appreciate the dynamics of elections  in the pre-election era
  • Explain how the politics of the immediate post-independence era influenced elections
  • Discuss the contexts  in which elections and referendum in the Second and Third Republics
  • Analyze various dimension of elections in the Fourth Republic
  • Contribute meaningfully  to discussions on issues of  Electoral Politics in Ghana

WEEK NO
Date
Lecture Course
Tutorials
Venue
Assessment
1-3
1-19 Feb  2016
EXPLAINING ELECTIONS: theoretical perspectives

Theory of Elections
Role of Elections
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR


4
22-26 Feb 2016
PRE-INDEPENDENCE ELECTIONS: 1951, 1954 and 1956.
The electoral dominance of the CPP
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR


5-6
29 Feb- 11 Mar 2016
IMMEDIATE POST-INDEPENDENCE ELECTIONS: 1960 referendum and elections; 1964 One-Party Referendum; 1965 No-contest
One-Party Elections
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR


7-8
14-25 Mar 2016
POST-INDEPENDENCE MULTIPARTY AND NO-PARTY ELECTIONS: 1969, 1978 union government referendum and 1979 Elections
Contexts, Processes ,
Outcomes  and Lessons for the Fourth Republic
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR


9-11
28 Mar-15 Apr 2016
ELECTIONS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC: 1992 Referendum, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008  & 2012 Elections
Transition elections, Alternation in Power,
Presidential Runoff
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR


12-13
18-29 Apr 2016
ELECTORAL ISSUES: Ethnicity, Economy,  Incumbency,  Challenges  & Prospects of Democratic Consolidation
Implications of Issues for Electoral Politics In Ghana
Lecture: JQB 23
Tutorial: DLR



Reading List
MAIN TEXT:  Alex K. D. Frempong (2015)  Elections in Ghana (1951-2015), Life Begins @ 60 Series Accra: Seal Prints.   COMPULSORY AND AVAILABLE AT DEPARTMENTAL GENERAL OFFICE
Fred M. Hayward, ed.  Elections in Independent Africa, Boulder & London: Westview Press, Chapters 1, 3 &10
Emmanuel Debrah (2004) ” The Politics of Elections: Opposition and Incumbency in Ghana’s 2000 Elections”,  AFRICA INSIGHT, Vol. 34, Nos. 2/3, June/Sept, pp. 3-16
E. Debrah (2008/2009) ”The Economy and Regime Change in Ghana, 1992-2004, Ghana Social Science Journal, Vols 5/6. Nos 1 &2, pp. 84-113
A. A. Boahen (2000) Ghana: Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20 Centuries, Accra: Sankofa
Naomi Chazan (1983) Anatomy of Ghanaian Politics: Managing Political Recession in Ghana, Boulder: Westview Press
Dennis Austin and Robin Luckham eds. (1975) Politicians and Soldiers in Ghana, London: Frank Cass, pp. 140-163.
Maxwell Owusu (1979) “Politics without Parties: Reflections on the Union Government Proposals in Ghana”, African Studies Review, Vol. 22, No.1 (April), pp. 89-108.
Richard Jeffries (1980) “The Ghanaian Elections of 1979”, African Affairs, Vol. 79, No. 316, July, pp. 397-414.
B. Agyeman-Duah (2005) Elections and Electoral Politics in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, Critical Perspectives No. 18, Accra: Ghana Center for Democratic Development, CDD-Ghana.
Jeffries (1993) “The Ghana Elections of 1992”, African Affairs, Vol. 92, No. 368, July, pp.331-366.
Mike Oquaye (1995) “The Ghanaian Elections of 1992: A Dissenting View”, African Affairs, Vol. 94, No. 375: 259-275.
J. R. A. Ayee (1997) Ghana’s 1996 General Elections: A Post-mortem, Harare: AAPS Occasional Paper Series, Vol.1, No.1.
J. R. A. Ayee ed. (1998) The 1996 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Ghana, Accra: Gold Type Ltd.
E. Gyimah-Boadi (1997) “Ghana’s Encouraging Elections: The Challenges Ahead”, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 8, No. 2, April, pp. 78-91.
Gyimah-Boadi (1999)” Ghana: The Challenges of Consolidating Democracy”, in Richard Joseph ed. State, Conflict, and Democracy in Africa, Boulder/London: Lynne Rienner, pp. 409-427.
Jeffries (1998) “The Ghanaian Elections of 1996: Towards the Consolidation of Democracy”, African Affairs, Vol. 97, No. 387, April, pp. 189-208.
Ayee ed. (2001), Deepening Democracy in Ghana: Politics of the 2000 Elections, Accra: Freedom Publications, Vol. 1.
Gyimah-Boadi (2001) “A Peaceful Turnover in Ghana”, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 103-117.
K. Boafo-Arthur (2006) “The 2004 General Elections”, Voting for Democracy in Ghana: The 2004 Elections in Perspective, Vol.1, Accra: Freedom Publications, pp. 33-58.
Gyimah-Boadi (2009) “Another Step Forward for Ghana”, Journal of Democracy, Vol. 20, No. 2, April, pp. 138-152.
Michael Amoah (2009) “The Most Difficult Decision Yet: Ghana’s 2008 Presidential Elections”, African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 3(4), April, pp. 174-181.
H. Jockers, D. Kohnert and P. Nugent (2009) “The Successful Ghana Election of 2008: A Convenient Myth? Ethnicity in Ghana’s Elections Revisited”, Munich Personal RePEc Archive MPRA) Paper No. 16167.

Plagiarism Policy
Be reminded of UG Plagiarism Policy (Refer to UG Public Affairs Website)
Examination
Interim Assessment: Take-Home Assignment to collected Mid-Semester (Week 7)
End of Semester Examination: Two-&-Half-Hour Paper of two Sections. Section A: 50 short-answer questions (compulsory for 50marks) and Section B: three-essay questions (answer any one for 20marks)

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST - POLI 418: POLITICS AND IDENTITY IN GHANA



DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
SECOND SEMESTER, 2012/2013

                                      Lecture Venue: JQB 24 (Fri: 9.30-11.20am)

LECTURER: A. K. D. FREMPONG
Office Location: F20 Kweku Folson Building, Dept. of Political Science
Office Hours: Monday 7.30-8.30am Friday: 11.30am-1230pm

Course Title
POLITICS OF IDENTITY IN GHANA

Course Code
POLI 458
Purpose and Objectives
Identity is a manifest feature of every society because in terms of politics, religion, region, ethnicity, gender, age, or socio-economic status, etc, society is pluralistic with different interests pursued by various groups. Often, identity groups have antedated the emergence of the modern state system and have endured in most countries despite policies of assimilation and integration. The issue becomes even more complicated by the fact that people have multiple identities and occupy multiple social statuses. How then does a post-colonial state promote national integration among its citizens within the context of competing identities? What is the role of the state in the struggle among the identity groups for the control of political power and national resources; particularly in the context where the assumption of one group to power alienates other groups?

This course analyses the challenges of nation-state building in Ghana; forging a nation out of the diverse group of people living within its borders. To what extent have efforts to promote national identity been either promoted or hindered by competing ethnic, regional and religious identities? What roles have partisan politics, chieftaincy, women, and youth played in Ghanaian politics? Overall, how have the interplay of such identities shaped political actions and alignments in the varying phases of Ghanaian politics?  

Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
·         Understand Identity and how it shapes national politics
·         Appreciate the impact of regionalism and ethnicity on politics in Ghana
·         Understand the roles and  dynamics of political party and religion in politics in Ghana
·         Critically discuss the prospects and  challenges  of Women and Youth participation in Ghanaian politics
·         Analyze the role of the institution of chieftaincy In Ghanaian  politics
·         Contribute meaningfully  to discussions on issues of  Identity and Politics in Ghana

A theoretical analysis of the concept and forms of identity is followed by their application in Ghanaian politics since independence, with particular emphasis on the Fourth Republic
WEEK NO
Date
Lecture Course
Tutorials
Venue
Assessment
1-3
1-19 Feb 2016
Understanding Politics of Identity

What is Identity and how does it affect national politics?
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR

4-6
22 Feb -11 Mar 2016
Regionalism and Ethnicity in Ghanaian Politics
Challenges of Regionalism and Ethnicity in Ghana
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR

7-8
14-25 Mar 2016
Party  Politics in Ghana
Dynamics of  Party Politics in Ghana
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR

        9-10
28 Mar -8 Apr 2016
Women and Youth in Ghanaian Politics
Examine prospects and  challenges
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR

         11-12
11-22 April 2016
Chieftaincy and Politics in Ghana
Chieftaincy –State Relations
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR

         13
25-29 April 2016
Religion and Politics in Ghana
Extent and Influence of religion
Lecture: JQB24
Tutorial: DLR


Reading List
Crawford Young (1976) The Politics Of Cultural Pluralism, Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
Naomi Chazan (1982) “Ethnicity and Politics in Ghana”, Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. 3, Autumn, pp. 461-485.
A. K. D. Frempong (2001) “Ghana’s 2000 Elections: The Ethnic Undercurrents”, in J. R. A. Ayee, ed. Deepening Democracy in Ghana: Politics of the 2000 Elections”, Vol. 1, Accra: Freedom Publications, pp. 141- 159.
Frempong (2006) “Ethnicity, Democracy and Ghana’s Election 2004” in K. Boafo-Arthur ed. Voting for Democracy in Ghana: The 2004 Elections in Perspective, Thematic Studies, Accra: Freedom Publications, pp. 157-186
J. R. A. Ayee (nd) “Voting Patterns in the 2004 Elections”, Discussing Issues not Sensations http://ghanaelectionwatch.com/blog/index.php?itemid=5 
E. Gyimah-Boadi (2003) “Ghana: The Political Economy of ‘Successful’ Ethno-regional Conflict Management” in Bastain, Sunil and Robin Luckham , eds. Can Democracy be Designed? The Politics of Institutional Choice in Conflict-torn Societies, London/New York: Zed Books, pp.120-144.
H. Jockers, D. Kohnert and P. Nugent (2009) “The Successful Ghana Election of 2008: A Convenient Myth? Ethnicity in Ghana’s Elections Revisited”, Munich Personal RePEc Archive MPRA) Paper No. 16167.
Bob Kelly (2005) “The 2004 Elections in Northern Ghana”, Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 32, No. 104/105, Jun-Sept, pp. 455-461. 
John S. Pobee (1991) Religion and Politics in Ghana, Accra: Asempa Publishers.
Jean Marie Allman (1991) “Hewers of Wood, Carriers of Water: Islam, Class and Politics on the Eve of Ghana’s Independence”, African Studies Review, Vol. 34, No.2, pp. 1-26.
K. Ansah-Koi (1998) “Walking the Tightrope: Chiefs, Chieftaincy and the 1996 Elections in Ghana”, in J. R. A. Ayee, ed. The 1996 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in Ghana, Accra: Gold-Type Ltd, pp. 139-155.
Kwame Boafo-Arthur (2006) “Chieftaincy in Ghana: Challenges and Prospects in the 21 Century” in Irene K. Odotei and Albert K. Awedoba, eds. Chieftaincy in Ghana: Culture, Governance and Development, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, pp. 145-168
Samuel K. Gyapong (2006) “The Role of Chieftaincy in Ghana’s Democratic Experiment” in Odotei and Awedoba, eds. Chieftaincy in Ghana, pp. 183-191
E. Debrah (2007) “Fifty Years of Party Politics in Ghana: The Balance Sheet” in J. R. A. Ayee (ed) Ghana at 50: Government, Politics and Development, Accra: Friedrich Ebert Foundation, pp. 107-123.
A. K. D. Frempong (2007) “Political Conflict and Elite Consensus in the Liberal State”, in Kwame Boafo-Arthur, ed. Ghana: One Decade of the Liberal State, London/Dakar: Zed/CODESRIA Books, pp.128-164.
Beatrix Allah-Mensah (2005) Women in Politics and Public Life in Ghana, Accra: Friedrich Elbert Foundation.
 Beatrix Allah-Mensah (2007) “Women in Politics in Ghana, 1993-2003” in Kwame Boafo-Arthur, ed. Ghana: One Decade of the Liberal State, London/Dakar: Zed/CODESRIA Books, pp.251-279
Mike Oquaye (1996) “Youth, Politics and Society in Ghana” in F. K. Drah & Mike Oquaye, eds. Civil Society in Ghana, Accra: FES, pp. 163-202.
Richard Asante (2006) “The Youth and Politics in Ghana: Reflections on the 2004 General Elections” in K. Boafo-Arthur ed. Voting for Democracy in Ghana: The 2004 Elections in Perspective, Thematic Studies, Accra: Freedom Publications, pp. 211-236.
Ransford E. V. Gyampo (2008) The Youth and Political Ideology in Ghanaian Politics, Inter-Faculty Lecture delivered on 18 October 2007, University of Ghana, Legon.

Plagiarism Policy
Be reminded of UG Plagiarism Policy (Refer to UG Public Affairs Website)

Examination
Interim Assessment: Take-Home Assignment to collected Mid-Semester (Week 7)
End of Semester Examination: Two-&-Half-Hour Paper of two Sections. Section A: 50 short-answer questions (compulsory for 50marks) and Section B: three-essay questions (answer any one for 20marks)