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In June 2012 the government of Ghana added 42 new districts to the country's system of local governance. This paper measures the impact of one new district in terms of private wealth accumulation, access to public services and political engagement. Data analysed comes from a panel survey of residents of the new district capital and two similarly sized villages, one in the new district and one just outside. Proponents of government fragmentation promise personal, public and political gains when government is brought closer to the people. Evidence weighed here suggests that these gains are largely realized by residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a flurry of publications examining Ghana’s decentralization programme since 1988 to date. None has, however, specifically focused on the creation of districts; that is, the political and geographical division of the state into smaller jurisdictions – arguably regarded as one of the key processes of decentralization. In other words, the numerous studies do not fully explain the politics of the creation of districts, which has not only been a recurring phenomenon but also a contentious and sensitive one. This paper aims at filling this lacuna by identifying the actors and discussing their interests, benefits and the tensions arising from the creation of new districts in Ghana. The lessons learnt are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines calls for the introduction of partisan politics into the District Assemblies system, which is the core institution in Ghana’s democratic decentralization program. I argue that in spite of constitutional provisions and an enabling legislation on the need for a ‘politically neutral’ District Assemblies system, this has not been the case, ironically partly due to the composition of the membership of the Assemblies as provided for in the 1992 Constitution and the unnecessary interferences by governments. This situation, the article notes, has undermined the effectiveness of the District Assemblies system. The article concludes by recommending certain measures that must be put in place if the situation is to be arrested and ensure the attainment of the goals of the District Assemblies system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the effectiveness of Ghana’s democratic decentralization policy since its inception in the 1980s. It argues that, in spite of the lofty goals of the policy, its effectiveness has been undermined by the lack of political commitment on the part of central government and its frequent interferences in the functioning of the district assemblies, which provide the framework for the policy. The article concludes that, so far, the policy is more of a process than of substance and recommends some measures that must be taken in any serious review process. This research was carried out largely through interviews, participant observation, newspaper and article reviews and library research in and outside Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]