Voter Turnouts in Presidential Elections in Ghana: A Political Economy Analysis Using District-Level Data

Abstract

During the Fourth Republican electioneering era in Ghana, starting in November 1992, presidential elections are conducted every four years. The 2000 and 2012 elections closely coincided with the national population censuses of 2000 and 2010, respectively. We constructed meso-level models, based on the concept of “average district voter”, to analyse factors influencing voter turnout rates. The results of the analysis indicated that voting was a normal good based on the estimated inelastic price and income elasticities of demand for this good. As expected, the cost of voting incurred by an individual negatively influenced turnout. The other significant negative factors influencing turnout rates included increasing male/female sex ratio (gender), increasing age-based dependency ratio (poverty burden), and disability.

The Nexus between Citizen Participation and Engagement in Elections and Development in Ghana: Empirical Evidence from Voters in Four Electorally-Swing Constituencies in Ghana

“…Regardless of the perspective from which the debate is anchored, it is evident that neither argument can be convincingly maintained, as the predicament faced by developing nations such as Ghana does not allow for a singular choice to be made. The challenge of political and economic progression in a majority of these countries, including Ghana, demands concurrent consideration of political, sociocultural, and economic factors and issues (Bukari, 2017, Anaman & Bukari, 2019a, 2019b, 2022Anaman, 2016;Alidu & Bukari, 2020;Anaman & Bukari, 2021). This paper aligns with the view that political and economic liberation should be pursued concurrently and that prioritizing one over the other from the outset is inherently flawed.…”

“…This ongoing discussion engenders considerable dispute within political parlance without a definitive stance. One perspective posits that democracy's significance would be undermined if the majority of its intended beneficiaries lack fundamental social and economic provisions (Anaman & Bukari, 2021;Bukari, 2022). The other school of thought is that social and economic advancement can only be realised through the democratic establishment.…”

“…Undoubtedly, the establishment and perpetuation of a democratic atmosphere are crucial for cultivating and maintaining conditions conducive to robust and equitable progress, rendering it an indispensable accompaniment to wellfounded economic strategies (Bollen & Jackman, 1985;Anaman & Bukari, 2019a, 2019bAlidu & Bukari, 2020;Anaman & Bukari, 2021;Bukari, 2022). It is indisputable that within Africa, the capacity to tackle developmental impediments on the continent hinges upon the characteristics of democratic governance.…”

Use of Birth Control Products and Contraceptives by Adult Males: A Case Study of the Amasaman Area Council, Accra, Ghana

“…While Ghana has achieved relatively high growth rate of about five percent per year as indicated by the annual change in the gross domestic product (GDP), over the three decades of constitutional governance [8], the country is bedeviled with serious environmental-related problems which are directly linked to rapid growth of the human population [9]. These problems include extensive destruction of water bodies through illegal mining activities, rapid deforestation, among the highest in the world, and poor environmental sanitation.…”

Urbanization and Arable Land Use in Northern Ghana: A Case Study of the Sagnarigu Municipality in the Greater Tamale Area

“…This index increased to 40.1 in 2000it increased to 38.4 in , and further increased to 41.9 in 2006it increased to 38.4 in , 42.3 in 2013it increased to 38.4 in , and then to 43.5 in 2017.2 point increase of the index within 30 years (World Bank, 2021). While the average national average poverty rate declined slightly from 2013 to 2017 (Ghana Statistical Service, 2018), the poverty rates, including severe food insecurity index, of many of the 80 relatively small tribes in the country, increased significantly over this period (Anaman and Bukari, 2021).…”