Political Parties in Ghana through Four Republics: A Path to Democratic Consolidation

Abstract

Ghana has had four democratic experiments since 1957, the last starting in 1993. All have revolved around two relatively stable political parties, a continuity perhaps auguring success within the third wave of democratization.1 Party development and its contribution to consolidation are the subjects of this assessment. The factors of recruitment, elections, socialization, interest aggregation, and organizational capacity will be considered. How effective are the party organizations in identifying and developing leadership? How do they organize and compete in elections and subsequently govern? How effectively do they develop a knowledge base for citizens, narrow conflicting interests, and structure policy options? And are their resources sufficient to sustain organizational permanence and stability? Ghanaian parties are important because they have remained stable through four republics, mediating a range of changes in political liberalization, economic status, state-society relations, ethnoregional conflict, and international issues. Meanwhile, leaders and citizens find them useful for engaging contingent processes of democratic government. The parties are vehicles that express and aggregate the diverse ideals of citizens in a competitive process.