ABSTRACT
In 1982, a number of exogenous shocks, over which neither the government of the day or the Ghanaian state had any control, added to the problems of the polity. They influenced not only the move to macro policy reform, but also quickened the reform process itself. The worst drought this century in the country’s history occurred in 1982-1983 leading to unprecedented food shortages. The perilous economic position of the country was instrumental in determining the internal politics of the country. The disastrous state of the economy by April 1983 is reported in chapter three, but it is still worth reiterating some highlights of the decay. The deterioration of the Ghanaian polity was not limited to the economic sphere. The social consequences and implications were just as important, if not more in the Ghanaian case. The peculiarity of Ghana’s Adjustment Programme has often defied standard categorisation.
