Naomi Chazan

Since independence, the political institutions of many African states have undergone a process of consolidation and subsequent deterioration. Constrained by external economic dependency and an acute scarcity of economic and technical resources, state officials have demonstrated a diminished capacity to regulate their societies. Public policies are agreed upon but ineffectively implemented by the weak institutions of the state. Although scholars have analyzed the various facets of state-building in detail, little systematic attention has been given to the issue of the decline of the state and mechanisms to cope with state ineffectiveness in Africa. This book focuses especially on the character of the postcolonial state in Africa, the nature of and reasons for state deterioration, and the mechanisms and policies for coping with state malfunction. Scholars from Africa, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East combine a broad understanding of African political processes with expertise on specific regions. Their analytic and comparative perspective provides a comprehensive and timely treatment of this vital and heretofore neglected theme in African politics.

This book concentrates on the 1969–1982 period in Ghana, focusing on two interrelated facets of African politics: the decline of state power and authority, and adjustments to political recession.

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.

The paths of African states have diverged markedly since the termination of colonial rule. Nevertheless, Ghana, the first African state to achieve independence, epitomizes both the political gyrations and the overall stagnation common to many other countries on the continent. This work concentrates on the 1969–1982 period in Ghana, focusing on two interrelated facets of African politics: the decline of state power and authority, and adjustments to political recession. The author traces the dual patterns of diminution of the state and the adaptation of autonomous coping mechanisms in the separate spheres of political leadership, political structures and institutions, ideology, and political economy. The dynamic of state-society interactions is then treated in terms of the rhythm of dissent, conflict, and disengagement. Dr. Chazan provides a comprehensive study of Ghanaian politics from the 1970s to the present. By systematically analyzing the process of political decline and regeneration, she highlights similar processes apparent elsewhere in Africa. The stress on the subtleties and direction of political change has important implications for policymakers and policy analysts alike.

Since independence, the political institutions of many African states have undergone a process of consolidation and subsequent deterioration. Constrained by external economic dependency and an acute scarcity of economic and technical resources, state officials have demonstrated a diminished capacity to regulate their societies. Public policies are agreed upon but ineffectively implemented by the weak institutions of the state. Although scholars have analyzed the various facets of state-building in detail, little systematic attention has been given to the issue of the decline of the state and mechanisms to cope with state ineffectiveness in Africa. This book focuses especially on the character of the postcolonial state in Africa, the nature of and reasons for state deterioration, and the mechanisms and policies for coping with state malfunction. Scholars from Africa, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East combine a broad understanding of African political processes with expertise on specific regions. Their analytic and comparative perspective provides a comprehensive and timely treatment of this vital and heretofore neglected theme in African politics.

The new edition of this popular and widely-used text includes entirely new chapters on political economy and South Africa and has been thoroughly revised throughout to reflect the major changes in Africa and in the wider world since the end of the Cold War. Broadly encompassing, challenging and timely, the book is a major contribution to our understanding of the multiple forces at work on the continent.