AN ASSESSMENT OF VOTE BUYING CULTURE AND IMPLICATION ON GHANA ELECTORAL OUTCOME

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

Emerging democracies appear to be stabilizing and becoming more democratic mostly due to elections as elections serves as a crucial cornerstone that gives the people the ability to rule. According to Bratton, M. (2020) elections serve as a barometer for democratic institutions, making them crucial to the development of a nation and its voters. It guarantees the strengthening of democratic fundamentals such as the rule of law, voting confidentiality, power separation, judicial independence, and many more. Citizens can therefore participate in government through elections. Elections therefore provide the people a chance to choose their leaders. In any democracy, elections—more precisely, voting—are crucial processes for choosing leaders for public office. Elections enable candidates to appeal to and clarify their intended policies to electorates prior to being voted into power, which helps to aggregate preferences, choose more qualified public officials, and incentivize politicians to act in the best interests of the voters they represent (Akwetey 2016). However, the quality of elections still varies greatly in some developing nations, particularly in Africa, where there have been issues with ballot fraud, intimidation, multiple voting, low voter education, snatching ballot boxes, violence, offering out electoral incentives or buying votes, among other things (Gans-Morse, Mazzuca, & Nichter 2021).

Many nations that have maintained their democratic transition have seen rampant voter fraud. According to Vicente (2018), vote buying occurs often around the world. Vote buying, often known as clientelism in certain literature, does, in fact, have a lengthy history. In many industrialised and developing nations, purchasing votes through electoral incentives has been a common practice during campaigning and elections. Every community has many sorts of vote buying. Direct payments to voters might be one way it manifests. In its literal meaning, vote buying is just a trade of goods and services, according to Schaffer and Schedler (2015). Similar to how people purchase and sell apples, shoes, or television sets, candidates "buy" and voters "sell" votes.A package containing their name is usually provided to every voter in a household, and campaigns keep note of who accepts and who declines. If a candidate discovers that a rival is providing a higher sum of money than they are, they may also purchase votes again.

Similarly Kramon & Posner (2023) mentioned that although campaigns aim to make sure that the gift is unmistakably associated with the candidate. A candidate's flier, for instance, may be affixed to food bundles sent to voters, or a candidate's letter or flyer might come with cash attached. Most frequently, candidates hand out money with a sample ballot attached, urging voters to use the ballots as a guidance when they go to the polls. Along with the candidate's name, the sample ballot also features affiliated candidates from lower and upper divisions of the ticket.Parties and politicians that provide voters with tangible advantages typically aim to buy political support at the polls, in line with the notion of market exchange. Other types might be making job offers prior to elections, presenting gifts, providing social infrastructure to communities at the "last minute," and making pledges to people that are contingent on a candidate winning.

According to Kramon (2023), political parties use certain tactics to buy voters' support. Activating passive supporters or demobilising aggressive opponents may be the main goals of the methods. While the latter might be referred to as "participation buying," the former is frequently referred to as "negative" vote buying or "abstention buying." These tactics could be used to discourage voters from casting ballots or guarantee a high turnout, but it's still unclear how the parties decide which tactic to use when providing incentives for voting or purchasing votes.

Unarguably, when distributing these "goodies" or "freebies," politicians and political parties focus on or take into account two particular factors. The type of voter is one of these two main elements that political parties take into account when purchasing votes. Three categories of voters are distinguished by Cox and McCubbins (1986) referenced in Hicken, Leider Ravanilla & Yang, (2022) as: opposition supporters, swing voters, and core supporters. These three main voter categories can therefore be recognized in every political system, and they are the ones targeted by vote buying. More so, the second component is identified by Schaffer & Schedler (2015), who claim that vote trading propositions may aim to influence voting behaviour or choices. Their purpose might be to influence people to vote in specific ways, or to cast a ballot or not at all which eventually affect the election outcome.

1. 1. Statement of the problem

Clearly, vote buying is frowned upon in every functioning democracy. This is because it calls into question the quality of democracy. Since Ghana returned to democratic rule in 1992 after years of military rule, a number of political parties have emerged, and elections have been held in the fourth republic, with Ghanaians voting every four years to elect a president and members of parliament for the country's various constituencies. Bye-elections are held to replace members of parliament who die or resign during their four-year term. Again, elections are held two years following the presidential and legislative elections to elect assembly and unit committee members. All previous elections have been riddled with charges of the distribution of electoral incentives in order to buy electorates' votes. Vote-buying appears to have become the norm, both in national and internal party elections. The problem stems from the significant poverty rate among the voting population. Regardless, because votes are supposed to be secret, voters can just accept the inducement and vote as they choose, albeit this might create a problematic commitment dilemma between a vote seller and vote buyer. While the party system is largely institutionalised, Ghanaian elections remain contested, with claims of vote buying (the distribution of electoral incentives to voters) appearing in every election, even internal party elections.

According to Kramon and Posner (2023), cash and other forms of giveaways, sometimes known as "chop money," are frequent in Ghanaian political campaigns. There is substantial evidence that vote buying is real, not imagined, in Ghana. The practice is so popular in Ghanaian politics that it may be found at schools, colleges, and local internal party elections, with some voters even receiving presents from various parties. Hicken et’al (2022) mentioned believes that the more people receive several presents, the lower their expectations of political support in return. According to accounts, voters who profit from electoral incentives are sometimes forced to swear in the name of a deity in order to fulfil their obligations under the agreement. It is also claimed that some voters are required to divulge the candidate for whom they voted, along with proof of snapping a photo of their ballots, before being compensated for compliance. These practices violate ballot confidentiality, which is protected by Ghanaian electoral rules and the constitution. Against this context, the research tries to perform an examination of vote buying culture and its implications on Ghana's electoral outcomes.

1.3 Objective of the study

The main objective of this study is focused on the an assessment of vote buying culture and implication on Ghana electoral outcome. Other specific objectives includes;

1. To investigate the prevalence of vote buying culture during elections in Ghana.

2. To examine the forms vote buying prevalent in Ghana political Space.

3. To ascertain whether vote buying culture significantly impact electoral outcome

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the prevalence of vote buying culture during elections in Ghana?

2. What are the forms vote buying prevalent in Ghana political Space?

3. Does vote buying culture significantly impact electoral outcome in Ghana?

1.5Research Hypotheses

Ho: There is no significant impact of vote buying culture on electoral outcome in Ghana

Hi: There is a significant impact of vote buying culture on electoral outcome in Ghana

1.6 Significance of the study

This research is significant in such a way that it electoral bodies, civil societies, and non-state actors through the result of the study would develop a framework spearheaded to strengthen democracy by mounting vigorous campaigns to educate the electorates not to accept financial or material rewards before they vote for a particular candidate or party as this amount to selling one’s conscience. It also x-rays the fundamental factors associated with vote buying culture and ultimately recommends ways for obviating them. It will serve as an eye opener to researchers, government officials and general readers who truly intend to understand the impediment to democratic consolidation in Ghana. Again, it will serve to sensitize the public and create awareness as to the destructive potentials of election malpractice towards the aspiration for democratization in Ghana. Empirically, the study will contribute to body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to student and scholars who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.

1.6 Scope of the study

The scope of this study borders on an assessment of vote buying culture and implication on Ghana electoral outcome. The study will further discuss the level of prevalence of vote buying culture during elections in Ghana and examine the forms vote buying prevalent in Ghana political Space. The study will draw its participant from group of potential voters in Shama District in the Western region Ghana .

1.7 Limitation of the study

The researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that voters buying discourse is vast thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only potential voters in Shama District in the Western region Ghana Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other District within Ghana. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 Definition of terms

Election: An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. 

Vote buying: Vote buying (also referred to as electoral clientelism and patronage politics) occurs when a political party or candidate distributes money or resources to a voter in an upcoming election with the expectation that the voter votes for the actor handing out monetary rewards.

Election outcome: The elections outcome summarize the voting results of an election. Election results are also known as the voting results 

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