Ghana's 2004 elections were another milestone in the country's transition to a mature democracy. The essays in this volume assess various aspects of this transition. The various themes focus on problem areas that impinge directly or indirectly on the performance of the country's democratic institutions and governance. The issues they address include, conflict and reconciliation in the light of years of human rights abuses; leadership styles and the degree to which leadership since 1993 has handled various critical problems confronting a new democracy like Ghana, ethnicity and whether or not it is a salient factor in the country's political life, electoral choices and whether Ghanaians vote o n the basis of issues, ethnicity or something else; and the degree of institutional development especially of critical democratic institutions. The essays are unanimous in underscoring the tremendous progress Ghana has made in building a democratic society despite the several unresolved problems.

Ghana's 2004 elections were another milestone in the country's transition to a mature democracy. The essays in this volume cover about 50 constituencies studied during the 2004 elections. They assess on the bases of evidence from each set of constituencies the quality of democratic governance, focusing on key issues such as political participation, the dynamics of political choice, the electoral system as well as the challenges and prospects of democracy. Some of the major conclusions are that few Ghanaians are registered party members though they take active part in other political activities, electoral politics may be captured by a few wealthy individuals and groups if the issue of party financing is not addressed dispassionately and promptly; local/community factor and concerns are the greatest influence on voters choices; factors such as ethnicity do not have a decisive influence on voting behavior even where they appear visibly powerful in electoral politics. Above all Ghanaians appreciate the value of competitive elections.

Ghana has witnessed a 'revolution through the ballot box', since its return to constitutional rule in 1993. Yet this period of sustained democratic government in an era of globalization and liberal triumphalism has brought with it new demands. How has Ghana faced up to the problems of institution-building, state-market relations and democratic leadership? Can it deal with the challenges posed by security, human rights and foreign policy in the twenty-first century? This unique collection interrogates all these issues and assesses the future of the democratic experiment in one of sub-Saharan Africa's rare 'islands of peace'. In doing so, it provides an invaluable guide to Ghana's political past, present and future.