COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST FOR POLI 444: ELECTORAL POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY IN GHANA 2018

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

SECOND SEMESTER, 2017/2018

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE TITLE: ELECTORAL POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY IN GHANA

COURSE CODE: POLI 444

COURSE VENUE: JQB 23

LECTURE PERIOD: MON 9:30-11:20 AM; WED 10:30-11:20 PM

COURSE INSTRUCTORS:

MR. A. K. D. FREMPONG

Office Location: F20 Kweku Folson Building, Dept. of Political Science

Office Hours: Monday 7.30-8.30am Wed: 11.30am-1230pm

Email: akdfrempong@ug.edu.gh

PROF. E. DEBRAH

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

TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Mohammed Shardow, Kwaku Antwi, Richard Boakye, Ellen Quaicoe

Office Location: Graduate Assistants Office (F17) Kweku Folson Building

Course Title/ Code	ELECTORAL POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY IN GHANA/ 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. Since the 1992 founding elections, Ghana 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
1-4	05-26 Feb 2018	UNDERSTANDING ELECTIONS: 1. Definition, Types, Importance of Elections. 2. Free and Fair Elections and why do elections go bad? 3. Electoral Systems: Proportional Representation, Single/Multi member constituencies, first past the post 4. Electoral Process: Enactment of Electoral Laws, Delimitation of constituency boundaries, registration of voters etc 5. Election Institutions: models and functions of electoral authorities 6. Theories of Voting	Conceptualizing Elections Functions of Elections The Electoral Mechanics Electoral Governance Why do people vote?	Lecture: JQB 23 Tutorial: DLR
5	05 Mar 2018	PRE-INDEPENDENCE ELECTIONS: 1951, 1954 and 1956.	The electoral dominance of the CPP	Lecture: JQB 23 Tutorial: DLR
6	12 Mar 2018	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	19-26 Mar 2018	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	02-16 Apr 2018	ELECTIONS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC: 1992 Referendum, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 & 2016 Elections	Transition elections, Alternation in Power, Presidential Runoff	Lecture: JQB 23 Tutorial: DLR
12-13	23-30 Apr 2018	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:  Frempong, A. K. D. (2015). Elections in Ghana (1951-2016) Accra: DigiBooks.  COMPULSORY AND AVAILABLE AT DEPARTMENTAL GENERAL OFFICE.

Agyeman-Duah, B. (2005). Elections and electoral politics in Ghana's Fourth Republic (No. 18). Ghana Center for Democratic Development.

Amoah, M. (2009). The most difficult decision yet: Ghana's 2008 presidential elections. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, 3(4), 174.

Austin, D., & Luckham, R. (2014). Politicians and soldiers in Ghana 1966-1972. Routledge.

Ayee, A. R. J. (1997). Ghana’s 1996 General Elections: A Post-mortem, Harare: AAPS Occasional Paper Series, 1(1)

Ayee, J. R. (Ed.). (1998). The 1996 General elections and democratic consolidation in Ghana. Department of Political Science University of Ghana.

Ayee, J. R. (Ed.). (2001). Deepening Democracy in Ghana: politics of the 2000 elections. Freedom.

Boafo-Arthur, K. (Ed.). (2006). Voting for Democracy in Ghana: Thematic studies (Vol. 1). Freedom Publications.

Boahen, A. A. (1975). Ghana: Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Chazan, N. (1983). An anatomy of Ghanaian politics: Managing political recession, 1969-1982. Westview Press.

Debrah, E. (2004). The Politics of Elections: Opposition and Incumbency in Ghana\'s 2000 Elections. Africa Insight, 34(2/3), 3-15.

Debrah, E. (2009). The economy and regime change in Ghana, 1992-2004. Ghana Social Science Journal, 5(1), 84-113.

Debrah, E. (2011). Measuring governance institutions' success in Ghana: the case of the electoral commission, 1993–2008. African Studies, 70(1), 25-45.

Debrah, E. (2016). The Ghanaian Voter and the 2008 General Election. Politikon, 43(3), 371-387.

Gyimah-Boadi, E. (1997). The Challenges ahead, Ghana’s Encouraging Elections. Journal of Democracy, 8(2), 78-91.

Gyimah-Boadi, E. (1999). Ghana: the challenges of consolidating democracy. Richard Joseph, State, conflict and democracy in Africa, London: Lynne Rienner, 409-427.

Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2001). A peaceful turnover in Ghana. Journal of Democracy, 12(2), 103-117.

Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2009). Another step forward for Ghana. Journal of Democracy, 20(2), 138-152.

Hayward, F. M. (Ed.). (1987). Elections in independent Africa. Westview Pr.

Jeffries, R. (1980). The Ghanaian elections of 1979. African Affairs, 79(316), 397-414.

Jeffries, R. (1993). The Ghana Elections of 1992. African Affairs, 92(368).331-366.

Jeffries, R. (1998). The Ghanaian elections of 1996: towards the consolidation of democracy?. African affairs, 97(387), 189-208.

Jockers, H., Kohnert, D., & Nugent, P. (2010). The successful Ghana election of 2008: a convenient myth?. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 48(1), 95-115.Longman.

Oquaye, M. (1995). The Ghanaian Elections of 1992--A Dissenting View. African Affairs, 94(375), 259-275.

Owusu, M. (1979). Politics without parties: Reflections on the union government proposals in Ghana. African Studies Review, 22(1), 89-108.

Plagiarism Policy

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

Examination

Interim Assessment: Two sit-in Assignments. Time would be indicated later.

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)