Publication Date
January 2013
Abstract
Electoral systems translate the votes cast in a general election into seats won by parties and candidates. The choice of an electoral system is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy. In fact, the choice of a particular electoral system has a profound effect on the country concerned. Yet, once an electoral system has been used for some time, its impact on the political life of the country may be less recognized. Against this background, this paper provides an analysis of Ghana’s First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system and juxtaposes it against the Proportional Representation (PR) system to see its strengths and weaknesses. How effective is the FPTP in terms of representation of the people by parties? Would Ghana be better off if the country adopted the PR system?
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
African Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons
