COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST - POLI 351: POLITICS OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION
FIRST SEMESTER, 2018/2019
POLI 351: POLITICS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC OF GHANA
(3 Credits)
GROUP
1: MONDAY, 10:30-13:30 GMT (FES 302)
GROUP
2: MONDAY, 16:30-19:30 GMT (FB 203)
GROUP 3: TUESDAY, 07:30-10:30 GMT (FES 302)
GROUP 4: TUESDAY, 10:30-13:30 GMT (FES 202)
GROUP 5: THURSDAY, 16:30-19:30 GMT (OLD PAVILION)
CONTACT: Office: By Appointment
INTRODUCTION
Politics in the Fourth Republic of Ghana
is meant to discuss Ghana’s quest to secure a working democracy since 1992.
This course will among other things, look at the transition process and factors
that led to the experimentation of democracy. There will be a discussion of the
1992 Constitution, critically looking at some of the important features.
Political institutions like the arms of state, constitutional bodies like the
Electoral Commission, CHRAJ, etc. will be discussed in relation to their
contribution towards the consolidation of the Fourth Republic. The critical
role of the media and civil society will also be discussed.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The
objectives of this course are among other things to:
Help
students to understand some important provisions in the 1992 Constitution of
the Republic of Ghana.
Give
an overview of Ghana’s democratic experience since 1992
Critically
analyze the contributions of some state and non-state institutions like the
Electoral Commission, Political Parties, the Media, civil society, etc. to the
consolidation of the Fourth Republic.
Appreciate
some current issues in Ghanaian politics.
COURSE
REQUIREMENT
Ø Attend
weekly lectures punctually
Ø Participate
in all presentations, assignments, quizzes and end of semester examination
Ø Search
for and read the required references as well as any other material that will be
relevant for this course.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment in this
course has been broken down as follow
Ø Assignment
(20%) – in the week 8
Ø
Quiz (20%)- to be taken in week 7
Ø
End of Semester examination (60%)
TEACHING SCHEDULE
LECTURE 1: DEMOCRACY IN GHANA
Ø
Definitions and concepts of democracy
Ø
Ghana’s Democracy Experiments: An
Overview since independence
Ø
Development and resurgence of democracy
– the Third Wave
Ø
The ‘Globalization’ of democracy
Ø
The Republican system
LECTURE 2: THE 1992 CONSTITUTION
Ø
The making of the 1992 Constitution
Ø
Features
Ø
Statutory institutions and their roles in the Fourth Republican
politics
Ø
Arms of
State: Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary
Ø Human
rights
LECTURE 3: THE
ELECTORAL PROCESS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
Ø The
Electoral Commission
Ø
Political parties and party politics in the Fourth Republic
Ø
Elections in the Fourth Republic (1992,
1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 & 2016)
·
Politics of the various elections
(incumbency advantage, resource availability, mobilization of vote eg. 31ST
DWM, personality of the candidate, message and propaganda, alliance, election
petition etc.)
·
Ethnic and regional issues
·
Free and Fair elections
·
Election Monitoring and Observation –
The International Community, Local Observers etc.
·
Gender representation in Parliament
LECTURE
4:
CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN THE FORTH REPUBLIC
Ø What
is Civil Society
Ø
Role of Civil Society in Ghana’s
democracy
Ø
The International Community
Ø
The role of the media in the Fourth Republic
Ø
The Media and political education
Ø
The National Media Commission on
Political Reportage
Ø
Media coverage and reportage of
elections
Ø Politicization
of the media
LECTURE 4:
Consolidating the Fourth Republic
Ø Democratic
consolidation
Ø
Political Institutionalization
Ø
Social and Economic Condition and
democratic consolidation
Ø
Civil Military relation, Nation security
and democratic consolidation
Ø Citizenship,
Participation and Grassroots Participation in the Forth Republic
LECTURE 4: THE FOURTH
REPUBLIC: SOME ISSUES
Ø Truth
and Reconciliation Commission
Ø
The youth and politics
Ø
Bye-election
Ø
Election of District Chief Executives
Ø Chieftaincy
and politics in Ghana
READING
LIST
BASIC
READING TEXT
Frempong, A.K.D.
(2012). Electoral politics in Ghana’s
Fourth Republic in the context of post- cold
war Africa. Yemens Press Ltd. Accra.
OTHER
READINGS
Agyeman- Duah B. (Ed.) (2008). Ghana: Governance in the Fourth Republic. Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD- Ghana)
Ayee, J.R.A. (Ed.) (2001). Deeping democracy in Ghana: Politics of the 2000 elections Thematic Studies. Freedom Publication
Ltd. Accra
Ayee, J.R.A (2007). Ghana at 50: Governance, Politics and Development. Political
Science Department and Friedrich
– Ebert-Stifftung.
Boafo-Arthur, K. (Ed) (2006). Voting
for democracy in Ghana: The election 2004 in perspective.
Freedom publications, Accra.
Boafo-Arthur, K. (Ed) (2007). Ghana:
One decade of liberal state. CODESRIA, Dakar.
Diamond, L. (1999). Developing Democracy: Towards consolidation. The John Hopkins. University Press Maryland.
Diamond, L., Linz, J.J. and Lipset, S. M. (Eds) Politics in developing countries: Comparing experiences with democracy. Lynne
Rienne Publication. London
Ninsin, K. A. (Ed) (1997). Ghana: Transition to Democracy. Freedom Publication: Accra.
Ninsin, K.A. and Drah, F. K. (Eds) (1987). The search for democracy in Ghana: A case
study of political instability in
Africa. Asempa Publishers
The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992
Please, we could not find course outline for instructional methodology
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