ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analysis three elements of the liberal democratic project and capture the major arguments, especially how they explicate the trends and challenges in deepening democracy through institutions, participation and accountability in Africa. It focuses on the interacting elements of institutions, participation and accountability in promoting or undermining liberal democracy in Africa. The book provides a refreshing breadth in analysing the challenges and opportunities of democratic growth and consolidation in Africa. It examines institutional effectiveness for horizontal accountability between the legislature and the executive and also examines the mechanisms, processes and outcomes of how the legislature provides institutional checks and balances over the executive in Ghana. The book offers key policy recommendations on how to assuage presidential powers in promoting democratic developmentalism. It argues that opportunism, betrayal and lack of focus largely characterize the involvement of labour in the political process.
