Ghana has often been heralded as a model of democracy. Political violence is rare, and since transitioning from military rule to multiparty democracy in 1992, the West African country has undergone successive peaceful transfers of power between its two main rival political parties. According to the country’s electoral commission, the last general election, which was held in 2016, saw a voter turnout of nearly 70 percent.
Aside from voting during elections, however, Ghanaian citizens rarely participate in their democracy, according to recent polling. The 2019 Afrobarometer Round 8 survey, which measured the quality of democracy and governance in African countries, showed that during the previous year 85 percent of respondents in Ghana never contacted a member of parliament about an important problem or to share their views, while 71 percent never contacted an assembly member. According to the survey, 84 percent of respondents did not participate in a demonstration during the previous year, and 64 percent indicated that they would never attend a demonstration.
