Since it achieved independence in 1957, the West African state of Ghana has become the torchbearer of African liberation, as well as a laboratory for the study of endemic problems facing the African continent. In terms of democratic consolidation, the country holds a unique position on the continent as beacon of stability and democracy. Politics, Governance, and Development in Ghana takes critical stock of the landmark themes that have dominated its history since independence. The contributors address issues such as citizenship, civil society, the military, politicians, chiefs, transnational actors, the public sector and policies, the executive branch, decentralization, the economy, electoral politics, natural resources, and relations with Asia and the diaspora. These themes support “mobilizing for Ghana’s future,” which is the theme for the diamond jubilee celebration of Ghana’s independence. Edited by Joseph R.A. Ayee, this book will deepen the literature on studies on Ghana especially in the areas of politics, governance, economy and development; serve as a resource for academics, students, practitioners; and commemorate the diamond jubilee celebration of Ghana’s independence.

This title was first published in 2001. When Ghana became independent in 1957, becoming the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to banish colonialism, there was a general optimism that irreversible socio-economic development was about to unfold. But by the end of the 1970s Ghana paradoxically became the first country in Twentieth Century Africa to have experienced socio-economic decline. What failed Ghana? This book seeks to answer this question. By combining sociological, economic, political and institutional perspectives, this book focuses on the interplay between state politics and socio-economic development. It provides a model, which suggests that Ghana’s postcolonial development has suffered mainly as a result of the failure or inability of governing elites to develop consensual politics and a clearly specified long-term development objective that could be widely understood, accepted and have relevance for policy making. This book presents a much-needed self-assessment of the post-colonial development experience which contends that governance, economic management and institution building are basic challenges without which the search for development is likely to falter.

A detailed account of politics in Ghana's urban neighborhoods, providing a new way to understand African democracy and development.

The world development institutions commonly present 'urban governance' as an antidote to the so-called 'urbanisation of poverty' and 'parasitic urbanism' in Africa. Governance for Pro-Poor Urban Development is a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the meaning, nature, and effects of 'urban governance' in theory and in practice, with a focus on Ghana, a country widely regarded as an island of good governance in the sub region. The book illustrates how diverse groups experience urban governance differently and contextualizes how this experience has worsened social differentiation in cities. This book will be of great interest to students, teachers, and researchers in development studies, and highly relevant to anyone with an interest in urban studies, geography, political economy, sociology, and African studies.

Drawing on field-based data and experiences from the practice of democratic decentralization and local governance over the last three decades in Ghana, this book examines whether and how democratic decentralization and local governance reforms in developing countries have produced the anticipated development outcomes. In seventeen related contributions, the authors present four relevant focal themes, including conceptual and historical trajectories of decentralization and local governance; institutional choice, democratic representation, and poverty reduction; local governance, resource capacity, and service delivery; and non-state actors, local governance and sustainable development. The book blends perspectives of scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers to provide a holistic analysis of linkages between decentralization, local governance, and sustainable development efforts, presenting a novel and useful guide for science, policy, and practice of bottom-up governance and development. It provides relevant lessons and experiences for scholars, policy-makers, and development practitioners in Africa in particular and developing countries in general.