🗳️ Ghana's democracy shows stability over 30 years

• Ghana has held uninterrupted and peaceful elections since the return to democracy in 1992, with four power transitions between political parties.
• Three factors explain the country's democratic resilience: strong institutions, a democratic political culture among both elites and citizens, and active civil society organizations.
• Afrobarometer surveys show that Ghanaian citizens have broad support for democracy since 1999.

Institutions, culture and civil society build democracy

Ghana has practiced democracy for 30 years since the 1992 constitution came into effect. Dr George Ofosu, political scientist at the London School of Economics, identifies three main factors behind the country's democratic success in a new report from the Brookings Institution.

The 1992 constitution created a legal framework with provisions for civil liberties, an independent electoral commission and an independent judiciary. This institutional foundation has guided both political elites and citizens about what they can expect from the democratic system.

The political culture has developed positively at both elite and citizen levels. Political leaders have accepted democracy as the best form of governance and rotated power among themselves four times. Even when parties lost after just one term, they have peacefully handed over power to their opponents.

Citizens support democratic governance

Afrobarometer surveys conducted in Ghana since 1999 show that citizens have broad support for democracy. When Ghanaians are asked what democracy means to them, many respond that it's about "you say and I say" - meaning freedom of speech and the ability to govern themselves through dialogue.

Civil society organizations and media have played a central role by educating the public about democracy and informing political elites about what is permitted under democratic governance. Organizations like the Ghana Center for Democratic Development have grown stronger over time and become important actors in the democratic process.

Challenges remain despite successes

Despite Ghana's democratic achievements, the report identifies certain problem areas. Election periods are still characterized by vote buying, violence and vigilante groups. During the most recent 2024 election, electoral commissioners were attacked by party militants at vote counting centers.

Surveys also show that a significant minority of Ghanaians, around 20 percent, believe that the president should be able to act without judicial constraints or that men are better political leaders than women. These views can be exploited by extremists or politicians who want to abuse their power.

Women's representation needs improvement

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is Ghana's first female vice president, but less than 15 percent of parliament consists of women. Research shows that the type of campaign messaging to promote female candidates matters.

Campaigns that emphasize women's strengths and achievements in political office work better than those that focus on discrimination. The real problem lies in getting women to run for office in the first place - only 15 percent of candidates in the most recent election were women.

Political parties have lowered fees for female candidates, but more needs to be done to open male-dominated political networks to women.

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