Overview

Ghana has long struggled against persistent corruption that has sapped state treasuries, distorted economic and social relationships, and undermined public confidence in government. In recent decades, concerns about corruption have become common in international policy circles, media, and academia. Ghanaians, however, began grappling with the issue long before outsiders expressed interest. From their indigenous precolonial societies through the decades of British rule to the various postindependence regimes, Ghanaians have aspired both to clean house at the top and to ensure that day-to-day affairs are managed honestly and with justice for ordinary citizens. Drawing on decades of research and interviews with Ghanaian officials and activists, Ernest Harsch focuses closely on corruption’s political implications: that is, how political actors use concerns about graft and related misdeeds to advance their own agendas. Harsch also considers social dimensions: class, ethnicity, gender, and other distinctions. While elite perspectives are well represented in official records, this book pays particular attention to voices from below, expressed through popular demonstrations, strikes, and other rebellious actions. In addition, activists have produced or collected hundreds of original protest declarations, petitions, reports, and letters. Those documents reveal that ordinary Ghanaians have opposed corruption not so much because it distorts markets-a central complaint of external and elite actors-but because it makes their daily living conditions so much harder and deepens inequities by disproportionately benefiting those with wealth and harming those without.

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Reviews

Ernest Harsch's analysis of corruption in Ghana is rich, original and very convincing. It will be a major reference on two levels: it is conducted from a very detailed historical perspective, which is exceptional in the literature on corruption, and it constitutes a remarkable political, social, and economic history of Ghana, based on solid documentation, with numerous examples and case studies. -- Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, emeritus director of research, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Ernest Harsch provides intriguing and complementary debate on the evidence and perception of corruption. This book reinforces the point that despite the existence of legal and institutional frameworks to combat it, corruption remains the Achilles heel to democratic governance, development, and the building of a free and just society in Ghana. -- Joseph R. A. Ayee, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences This book—comprehensive in its coverage, impartial and insightful in its analysis—is an important contribution to the debate on corruption. Ernest Harsch is a keen observer of African politics. -- Fantu Cheru, American University With great clarity, sparkling prose, and careful research, Ernest Harsch offers a comprehensive account of how corruption has evolved over Ghana’s modern history. The book easily skates between accounts of corruption cases, the institutions fighting corruption, the competing interests of various political, economic and social forces, and some of the key personalities involved. A must-read for any student of Ghana’s economy and politics, and a terrific accompaniment to university-level courses on African issues. -- Michael Kevane, Santa Clara University Highly recommended. * Choice *

Ernest Harsch's analysis of corruption in Ghana is rich, original and very convincing. It will be a major reference on two levels: it is conducted from a very detailed historical perspective, which is exceptional in the literature on corruption, and it constitutes a remarkable political, social, and economic history of Ghana, based on solid documentation, with numerous examples and case studies. - Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, emeritus director of research, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Ernest Harsch provides intriguing and complementary debate on the evidence and perception of corruption. This book reinforces the point that despite the existence of legal and institutional frameworks to combat it, corruption remains the Achilles heel to democratic governance, development, and the building of a free and just society in Ghana. - Joseph R. A. Ayee, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences This book-comprehensive in its coverage, impartial and insightful in its analysis-is an important contribution to the debate on corruption. Ernest Harsch is a keen observer of African politics. - Fantu Cheru, American University With great clarity, sparkling prose, and careful research, Ernest Harsch offers a comprehensive account of how corruption has evolved over Ghana’s modern history. The book easily skates between accounts of corruption cases, the institutions fighting corruption, the competing interests of various political, economic and social forces, and some of the key personalities involved. A must-read for any student of Ghana’s economy and politics, and a terrific accompaniment to university-level courses on African issues. - Michael Kevane, Santa Clara University Highly recommended. (Choice)

Ernest Harsch provides intriguing and complementary debate on the evidence and perception of corruption. This book reinforces the point that despite the existence of legal and institutional frameworks to combat it, corruption remains the Achilles heel to democratic governance, development, and the building of a free and just society in Ghana. -- Joseph R. A. Ayee, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences

Author Information

Ernest Harsch is a research scholar at the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University. He worked on African issues at the United Nations for more than twenty years and is the author of numerous books, journal articles, and book chapters.

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