What Are the Key Drivers of Persistent Ghanaian Political Corruption?

Abstract

Since Ghana’s independence in 1957, political corruption has been a significant problem impeding the development of the country. Based on primary and secondary data, this article argues that grand corruption such as Ghanaian political corruption mainly stems from a complex interplay of greed, opportunities grounded in monopoly power, and weak deterrent systems. Hence, uncontrolled political corruption is primarily a product of consistent political leadership failure to aggressively regulate greed, reasonably limit political power, and effectively strengthen the public-sector accountability structures. To help address political corruption, major stakeholders, particularly the political leadership, should critically analyze the legal regime, power structures, and deterrent mechanisms to remove opportunities for political corruption through effective checks and balances, surveillance, and sanctions. This paper makes theoretical and empirical contributions to understanding and tackling political corruption generally.