Democratic Consolidation in Africa: The Problematic Case of Ghana

In Africa, many countries, including Ghana, have post-authoritarian regimes. Democratically, to what extent do they differ from their authoritarian predecessors? The evidence presented here suggests that, while there are some signs of democratic consolidation in Ghana, democracy is not yet habitualised. The focus is on both the Jerry Rawlings government (1981-2001), and the successor regime, headed by John Kufuor (2001- ). The overall conclusion is that Kufuor has attempted to distance his rule, both stylistically and in policy terms, from that of Rawlings. However, he has found that, like his predecessor, he is forced to work with international and domestic structures that undermine attempts to deliver changes to the substance of rule.