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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Number 2 - The Role Of Western Democratic System Of Governance In Exacerbating Ethnic Conflicts In Africa: The Case Of Ghana's Democratic Dispensation, 1992-2012, David Kwasi Bansah Feb 2015

Number 2 - The Role Of Western Democratic System Of Governance In Exacerbating Ethnic Conflicts In Africa: The Case Of Ghana's Democratic Dispensation, 1992-2012, David Kwasi Bansah

Peace and Conflict Management Working Papers Series

This paper interrogates the influence of Western forms of democracy on ethnic conflicts in Africa through a case study of Ghana’s adoption of multiparty democracy between 1992 and 2012. It discusses the transition of African traditional systems of government before, during, and after colonization. The paper also shows how democracy, by definition and in terms of governance, cannot solely be a Western idea since many African societies had democratic elements in their systems of government before the arrival of the Europeans. Relying on qualitative secondary data, and the analysis of fierce and acrimonious competition that have characterized multiparty democratic elections …


Ethnicity And Voting Behavior In The Ashanti And Volta Regions Of Ghana: A Cramp In The Wheel Of A Fledgling Democracy?, Joseph Kingsley Adjei Jan 2013

Ethnicity And Voting Behavior In The Ashanti And Volta Regions Of Ghana: A Cramp In The Wheel Of A Fledgling Democracy?, Joseph Kingsley Adjei

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper discusses the substance and potential impact of ethnic block voting in two of Ghana's 10 political regions: Ashanti and Volta. Using the Electoral Commission of Ghana's dataset for five Presidential election results from 1992 to 2008, the paper confirms ethnic block voting in the two regions. The paper views the phenomenon as detrimental to Ghana's evolving democracy as it is a potential trigger for civil war, and recommends vigorous education, equitable distribution of resources, and comprehensive development to curb the problem.