In Ghana, much like in other parts of the Global South, postcolonial leaders aimed for industrial growth through the establishment of affordable hydroelectric power. However, in the current rapidly changing climate, many nations face recurring droughts, which hinder electricity production just when demand is on the rise. This situation has led to challenges like load shedding and unplanned power outages, which have strained the bond between citizens and the government. Negotiating Power and Inequality in Ghana aims to unravel the puzzling reality that, despite enduring greater difficulties from the electricity shortages, the Ghanaian citizens who suffered the most harshly were also the least likely to demand political accountability from the state. Drawing on archival evidence, focus groups, qualitative interviews, survey data, and contemporary art and music, author Lauren M. MacLean explains how this disparity in experience-fueled by differences in income and geographical location-has led lower- and higher-income Ghanaians to form contrasting perspectives on their social rights regarding public services and to adopt varying approaches to political involvement. Rather than relying on a predetermined social contract, citizens in Ghana develop a more fluid relationship with the state, shaped by their histories, identities, and personal experiences. This reciprocity highlights their awareness of how climate change and the global shift toward green energy can significantly impact their lives while also underscoring the necessity for the government to take the lead and engage with Ghanaians to promote climate justice. Targeted at a diverse audience that includes academics, policymakers, activists, and the general public, Negotiating Power and Inequality in Ghana encourages readers to gain insight into the dynamics that lead to political crises and to explore potential solutions to energy poverty in a time marked by increasing inequality and global climate challenges.
Lauren M. MacLean is the Dean's Professor of Political Economy and Civic Engagement and Department Chair of Political Science at Northeastern University. She is author of Informal Institutions and Citizenship in Rural Africa, (with Melani Cammett) The Politics of Non-State Social Welfare, and (with Diana Kapiszewski and Benjamin L. Read) Field Research in Political Science.
List of Acronyms Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: The Historical Construction of the State Role in Providing Unequal Electricity to Citizens and Subjects 1. The History of Electricity as a Right of Citizenship: From Colonial Subjects to Neoliberal Consumers in the Fourth Republic 2. New Pressures on Ghana's Emerging Democracy: Climate Change and Increasing Frustrations by Citizens as Consumers 3. Desperate Efforts to End the Electricity Crisis: The Cost of Non-State Providers and Promise of Green Energy Part II: The Unequal Experience of the Electricity Crisis and Negotiation of Citizenship as Reciprocity 4. The Unequal Citizen Experience of the Electricity Crisis 5. The Emotional Stress of Disconnection for the Youth: Images and Lyrics from Contemporary Ghanaian Artists and Musicians 6. Inequalities of Citizen Protest: From #Dumsormuststop to Harassment 7. Inequalities of Citizen Exit: From Solar Generators to Illegal Connections 8. The Right to Electricity and the Strain on Citizenship as Reciprocity Conclusion: Inequality and the Decline of the National Grid Appendix: Interview Guides Bibliography Index
