Publication

Ghana has exhibited rather strong economic growth since the 1980s but little transformation of the productive structure of its economy. This paper explains that the ruling elite in Ghana does not depend on the small nascent productive capitalists but rather on development aid, natural resources and popular support for its income and survival. Consequently, the elite focuses on delivering benefits to the ruling coalition and visible goods and services to the population in an effort to ‘swing’ voters their way, rather than on investing in the productive sector.