ABSTRACT
The gradual erosion of the capabilities of successive Ghanaian governments and the concomitant contraction of their spheres of influence evoked a multiplicity of responses. The reactions in specific structural, personal, ideological, and policy areas took on particular forms dictated by the issues involved. In 1969, when the elections were held to return Ghana for the first time from military to civilian rule, it was generally assumed that a new, refreshing period in Ghanaian politics was about to commence. Even though many of the faces were familiar from yesteryear, and the political constellations that crystallized seemed to be a replication of those active during the latter days of decolonization, the atmosphere was quite different. The creation of the ethnically slanted center of political gravity by Busia and the Progress Party determined some of the main outlines of political participation and conflict in the ensuing years. The immediate structural challenges were of a threefold nature.
