PAHS 301 Political Setting COMBINED SLIDES_EDEM.pdf

ety84430 84 views 180 slides Sep 20, 2024
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About This Presentation

Concise knowledge of the Political setting of administration


Slide Content

College of Education



Reginald
EDEM

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 2 – Politics – Administration
Relations

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• The interrelation of politics and administration can be
considered in different models according to the way in
which the division of labour is organized between
them.
• In this section, we shall examine the first three of
these models.




Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Orthodox Politics- Administration Dichotomy
• Modified Politics-Administration Dichotomy
• Partnership Model of Politics-Administration Relations




Slide 3

Topic One
ORTHODOX POLITICS-
ADMINISTRATION DICHOTOMY





Slide 4

The Orthodox Politics-Administration
Dichotomy
• The orthodox/traditional model refers to a hierarchical
structure of governmental institutions; politicians at the
top of the pyramid decide what must be done, while
administrators/bureaucrats carry out the decisions
made by politicians.
• This version of the relationship stresses insulation of
administration from politics by asserting that elected
officials (politicians) cannot interfere with the
administration or implementation of public policy.

Slide 5

Topic Two
THE MODIFIED POLITICS
ADMINISTRATION DICHOTOMY




Slide 6

The Modified Politics Administration
Dichotomy
• The modified model advocates some involvement of
the administrator in policy making, which is a
traditional political function.

• It however bars the participation of politicians in the
implementation process.




Slide 7

Inferences

• In general, it is fair to conclude that the modified
dichotomy model permits public administrators to
provide policy leadership to elected officials, but
elected officials should leave implementation and
general management questions to professional
administrators.




Slide 8

Topic Three
PARTNERSHIP MODEL OF POLITICS-
ADMINISTRATION RELATIONS




Slide 9

The Partnership Model

• This model focuses on the interconnectedness
between politics and administration.

• It holds that administrators can and often do have
great impact on policy making and that elected
officials can and often do have great impact on
administration.



Slide 10

Goodnow’s latter Views
• Goodnow, perhaps moving from his ideal position,
noted that in practice actual political necessity
requires that there should be harmony between the
expression and execution of the state will.

• Later he indicated that while the function of politics
has to do primarily with the expression of the state
will, it has to do secondarily with the execution of
that will.


Slide 11

Complementarity of Politics and
Administration
• Svara, is one of the scholars who emphasizes the
complementarity of politics and administration.

• This notion of complementarity is in line with
another model used by the functionalist system
theory, which holds that politics and
administration are seen as individual subsystems
within the larger political system.


Slide 12

Legislative Control of Administration

• The other part of this relationship, the elected
officials, has not escaped notice.
• The early nurturing of public administration by
political science apparently sensitized many scholars
to the impact of elected officials on administrative
activity
• Leonard White wrote that the legislature determines
the tasks to be undertaken and the sums of money
devoted to each

Slide 13

Assignments/Activities
1. State three of Wilson’s ideas on political and administrative
functions.
2. List three differences between politics and administration.
3. State one main difference between the orthodox and
modified models of the politics-administration dichotomy.
4. Compare and contrast the modified dichotomy and
partnership models.
5. Mention three roles played by Ghana’s parliament which
have impact on public administration.
6. It is often advocated that the role of the bureaucrat is to
advise and that of the politician is to make decisions. Do you
agree (or disagree) with this claim? Give reasons.

Slide 14

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 3 – The Political System

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• In this session we shall turn our attention to the political
system.
• Our focus will be on how David Easton applied the general
systems theory to political decision making.
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
• Demonstrate a fair understanding of the general system
theory
• Describe the application of system theory to administration
• Explain the input-conversion-output process of public
policy making


Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• General Background to Systems Thinking
• Application of System Theory to Politics
• Inputs, Outputs, Conversion
• Functions of a Political System
• Causes of policy failure


Slide 3

Topic One
GENERAL BACKGROUND TO
SYSTEMS THINKING




Slide 4

The Meaning of System

• Generally, a system refers to a set of closely related or
inter-connected units or parts.
• It functions in such a way that, a breakdown in any of
the parts affects the functioning of the system as a
whole.
• The units of the system are called institutions or
structures.
• Institutions are the basic building blocks of the system.

Slide 5

Examples of Social Systems

• The Economic System
The economy constitutes the economic system of any society.
• The Educational System
The educational system is made up of the educational
institutions.
• The Religious System
The religious system is also made up of different units called
religious institutions.
• The Political System
The political system is also made of different units such as
executives, legislatures, judiciaries, civil services, political
parties, pressure groups and many others.

Slide 6

Topic Two
APPLICATION OF SYSTEM THEORY
TO POLITICS




Slide 7

System and its Connotations in Politics

• A system connotes interdependence of parts of a
given entity. It also implies the existence of a
boundary between it (the system), and its
environment.
• Boundary
The features which define the extent of a system are its
boundaries. With any form of social organisation,
boundaries are not obvious.
In social organisations there are many transfers across
boundaries of ideas, people, materials and information

Slide 8

• Environment
The environment can be defined as those external elements
whose changes in attitudes, behavior or properties affect
the state of the system, and which are changed by the
system’s behavior.

• Political systems interact with two environments: the
domestic and international environments.

• David Easton also referred to the international
environment as Extrasocietal and the domestic
environment as Intrasocietal.

Slide 9

Topic Three
INPUTS, OUTPUTS, CONVERSION








Slide 10

David Easton’s Sketch

ENVIRONMENT




INPUTS
DEMANDS
SUPPORTS
DECISIONS
OUTPUTS
ACTIONS






ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT






Slide 11

Topic Four
FUNCTIONS OF A POLITICAL
SYSTEM




Slide 12

The functions of a political system
The functions of a political system may be viewed from
three different levels
i. The System Level
ii. The Process level
iii. The Policy Level
• The System Level
The system level is concerned with maintenance and
adaptation functions. The situation may demand that
old roles are changed or modified and new ones
created

Slide 13

• The Process Level
Four functions may be identified here.
i. interest articulation
ii. interest aggregation
iii. policy making
iv. policy implementation
• Policy level
The focus here is on behaviour of the political system as a
whole in relation to other social systems and to the
environment

Slide 14

Topic Five
CAUSES OF POLICY FAILURE








Slide 15

Possible Causes of Policy Failure
• Implementation may be carried out by individuals who
resist the same policies.
• Demands and complexity of implementation may simply
be beyond the capabilities of administrators.
• Policy environment may be influenced by unpredictable
developments internally and externally.
• Lack of political commitment by the political leadership.
• Weak capacity
• Multiple goals that often conflict
• Corruption
Slide 16

Assignments/Activities
1. List all the systems that you know.
2. State the institutions and the functions of the social
systems you are familiar with.
3. Identify 5 domestic and 5 international
environmental factors or institutions that impact on
Ghana’s political system.
4. State 3 reasons that you think can make policy
implementation a difficult task.
5. Write a short essay on how corruption can lead to
policy failure.

Slide 17

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration
Session 4 – Directive Principles of State
Policy (DPSP)

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• This session shall discuss the Directive Principles of State
Policy which seeks to guide policy makers in decision-
making and the citizenry in the interpretation of the
constitution.
By the end of this session students should be able to:
• Explain the directive principles of state policy (DPSP)
• Discuss specific objectives of the policy
• Assess the extent to which these objectives have been
achieved
• Outline Ghana’s foreign policy
• State the duties of citizens of Ghana as prescribed in the
DPSP

Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Significance of the Directive Principles
• Political, Educational, Economic, Social, and Cultural
Objectives
• Foreign Policy
• Duties of the Ghanaian Citizen
• The role of political parties in a political system

Slide 3

Topic One
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIRECTIVE
PRINCIPLES




Slide 4

To whom do the Directive Principles
(DPSP) Apply?
• The 1992 Constitution sets down certain principles or
objectives, called Directive Principles of State Policy, to
guide all Ghanaians in their various activities.
• Most often, the directive principles impose obligations
directly on the state, and are framed in the command
form of the state shall do this or that.
• Thus the DPSP may serve s as a yardstick of measuring a
government’s performance at any point in time.


Slide 5

Topic Two
POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMIC,
SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL OBJECTIVES





Slide 6

Political Objectives

Ghanaians are to pursue the following objectives in their
political activities;
• To build a united and independent country, protect and
safeguard its integrity and seek the welfare of its
people.
• To promote just and reasonable access by all citizens to
public facilities and services
• To take steps to eradicate corruption and the abuse of
power
• To promote a culture of political tolerance among the
Ghanaian people.
Slide 7

Economic Objectives

Specific economic objectives include managing the
country’s economy in such a way as to;
• Increase the rate of economic growth
• Achieve the greatest welfare, freedom and happiness of
every person in Ghana
• Provide adequate means of livelihood and suitable
employment and public assistance to the needy
• To take appropriate measures to promote the
development of agriculture and industry
• To encourage foreign investment
Slide 8

Social Objectives
The social objectives seek to achieve four main goals.
• To establish a society based on freedom, justice, probity
and accountability
• To ensure appropriate laws are made to protect the
rights and freedoms of the people.
• The provision of adequate facilities for sports
throughout Ghana as a means of fostering national
integration, health and self-discipline, as well as
international friendship and understanding.
• To ensure the economic security and well-being of
Ghanaians.
Slide 9

Educational Objectives

• Adequate facilities are to be provided at all levels of
education throughout Ghana
• Free, compulsory and universal basic education within
twelve years of the coming into force of the
constitution.
To the extent that the country’s resources permit, the
following should be provided;
• Equal access to secondary and other pre-university
education and to university education or its
equivalent,
• A free adult literacy programme and free vocational
training;
• Facilities for life-long education.
Slide 10

Cultural Objectives

• To integrate appropriate customary values into the
fabric of national life through formal and informal
education, as well as the conscious introduction of
cultural dimensions to relevant aspects of national
planning.
• To foster the development of Ghanaian languages and
pride in Ghanaian culture
• To preserve and protect historical artifacts and places of
historical interest.


Slide 11

Topic Three
FOREIGN POLICY








Slide 12

Foreign Policy Objectives

• To promote and protect the country’s interests
• To seek the establishment of a just and equitable
international economic and social order
• To promote respect for international law, treaty
obligations and peaceful means of settling
international disputes.
• To adhere to the principles, aims and ideals of
international organisations of which Ghana is a
member.

Slide 13

Topic Five
DUTIES OF THE GHANAIAN CITIZEN








Slide 14

Duties of a Citizen
• Promote the prestige and good name of Ghana and
respect the symbols of the nation
• Uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of
Ghana
• Foster national unity and live in harmony with others
• Respect the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests
of others, and generally to refrain from doing acts
detrimental to the welfare of other persons
• Protect and preserve public property and expose and
combat misuse and waste of public funds and
property
• Defend Ghana and render national service when
necessary
Slide 15

Topic Four
THE ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN
A POLITICAL SYSTEM




Slide 16

The functions of political parties in the
political system
• Mobilization of the Electorate
• Curbing the Occurrence of Violence
• Demonstrating Democratic Leadership
• Unifying the Country
• Co-operation in Legislation and Policies
• Simplifying the Political System
• Representing Social Interests
• Provision of Political Education
• Link between Government and Citizenry
• Interest Aggregation
• Recruitment of National Leaders

Slide 17

Assignments/Activities

1. State five (5) duties expected of Ghanaian
citizens.
2. To what extent have governments, since 1993,
achieved the political objectives of the DPSP?
3. List six functions of political parties in Ghana’s
democracy.




Slide 18

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 5 – Power, Authority and Legitimacy

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• In this session we shall look at three important concepts
which impact decision making in both politics and
administration. These are power, authority and legitimacy.
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
• Define power and authority in their own words
• Discuss the bases of power in organizations
• Discuss the three types of authority identified by Max
Weber
• Establish the relationship between power and authority
• Describe the conditions that necessitate the use of power
in organizations
Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• The Meaning of Power
• Bases of Power
• Power and Authority
• Types of Authority
• Power and Authority Relationships
• Conditions for the use of Power

Slide 3

Topic One
THE MEANING OF POWER








Slide 4

Definition of Power

• The concept of power has been variously defined in the
literature.
• Underlying this concept is the idea commonly expressed
that power relationships exist when a social actor, A affects
the behaviour of another, B in some ways.
• Gareth Morgan has also observed that power influences
who gets what, when, and how.
• Stephen Lukes, on his part, sees power as a value-laden
concept (that is, a concept dependent on beliefs).
• In other words he advises that we should pose the question:
What makes A’s affecting B significant?
Slide 5

Topic Two
BASES OF POWER








Slide 6

• Coercive Power
Bases of Power
Coercive power is based on fear. In organisations, this type of
power source refers to a leader’s ability to punish his
followers/subordinates.
• Legitimate Power
Legitimate power is based on the position held by a leader. It
refers to the power the leader possesses as a result of a
particular position or role in the organisation.
• Expert Power
This refers to power that a leader possesses as a result of
his/her knowledge and expertise regarding the tasks to be
performed by subordinates.
Slide 7

• Reward Power
Reward power is based on the leader’s ability to provide rewards for
other people who believe that compliance will lead to positive
incentives such as pay increase, promotion, or recognition.
• Referent Power
Referent power is based on the leader’s personal traits. It is
dependent upon the extent to which subordinates identify with,
look up to, and wish to emulate the leader.
• Information Power
This type of power is based on the leader’s possession of, or access
to information that is perceived as valuable or vital by others.
• Connection Power
This is based on the leader’s connections with influential or
important persons inside or outside the organization
Slide 8

Topic Three
POWER AND AUTHORITY








Slide 9

Authority
In government, authority is often used interchangeably
with the term power.

However, while power refers to the ability to achieve
certain ends, authority refers to a claim of legitimacy,
the justification and right to exercise that power

By the use of the term authority, we mean the right to
use power.

Slide 10

Topic Four
TYPES OF AUTHORITY








Slide 11

Max Weber’s Ideal Types of Authority


• Max Weber identified and distinguished three types of
legitimate domination that have sometimes been
rendered in English translation as legitimate authority.

These are
• Traditional authority,
• Charismatic authority and
• Rational-legal authority.

Slide 12

Traditional Authority

• The first type of authority discussed by Weber is traditional
authority, which derives from long-established customs,
habits and social structures.
• The administrative apparatus of this type of authority ideally
takes two forms namely patrimonial and feudal.
Patrimonial
• Servants, relatives, favourites who are personal descendants
serve as the officials of the administrative apparatus put in
place.
Feudal
• The feudal apparatus does not consist of the personal
dependants of the leader. Instead , they are seen as allies
who have taken an oath to serve their master or vassal.
Slide 13

Charismatic Authority

• Charismatic authority is that authority which is
derived from the gift of grace or when the leader
claims that his/her authority is derived from a higher
power (e.g. God or natural law or rights)
• or inspiration that is superior to both the validity of
traditional and rational-legal authority.

• As stated above, charisma literally means the gift of
grace.

Slide 14

Rational-Legal Authority

• It is that form of authority which depends for its
legitimacy on formal rules and established laws of
the state, which are usually written down and are
often very complex.
• The power of the rational legal authority is
mentioned in the constitution.
• To put it simply, legal authority is derived from the
belief in the rightness of the law


Slide 15

Topic Five
POWER AND AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS




Slide 16

Power and Authority Relationships



AUTHORITY


POWER
















Slide 17








POWER - AUTHORITY

AUTHORITY&
POWER
AUTHORITY - POWER

• Power minus Authority
This signifies the use of power without the right to do
so.
• Authority minus Power.
This represents the situation where a leader has the
right to exercise power but lacks the ability to influence
his/her followers to behave in certain ways.
• Power plus Authority
This is the most appropriate way power is used to
achieve results.

Slide 18

Topic Six
CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF
POWER




Slide 19

Conditions for the use of Power
• Interdependence
In an organisation, interdependence implies that what
happens to one organisational actor affects what happens to
others.
• Scarcity
Once resources are insufficient to meet the demands of
organisational participants, and once these resources must be
allocated somehow, choices have to be made.
• Heterogeneous Goals
The goals of organisational participants (units) are normally
not homogeneous. They are largely heterogeneous.
Slide 20

Assignments/Activities
1. Identify 3 sources you think leaders derive their power from.
2. Conduct a short interview with any public administrator to
determine which of the bases of power identified in this
session he/she wields
3. Which of the following uses power and which uses
authority?
(i) The policeman directing traffic and the policeman collecting
debt on behalf of family and friends.
(ii) An unarmed trainer at the army recruitment centre who
commands recruits to lie on the ground during a training section
and an armed robber who orders workers at a bank to lie on the
floor.

Slide 21

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 6 – Power and Morality

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• In this session we shall base the discussion on a very
famous pronouncement attributed to Lord Acton which
goes like this: Power corrupts and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
• Our concern will be how we can use Lord Acton’s
admonishment as a tool to guard against the arbitrary
use of power by politicians and administrators alike.



Slide 2

Session Objectives
By the end of this session students should be able to:
• Analyze Lord Acton’s word of caution on the misuse
of power
• Identify instances where political leaders and
administrators abused their power of discretion
• Recommend remedial actions against the arbitrary
use of power by government officials.



Slide 3

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Lord Acton’s note of caution about the abuse of Power
• Lessons from Lord Acton’s dictum
• Factors that Degenerate Ethical Standards in Public
Service




Slide 4

Topic One
LORD ACTON’S NOTE OF CAUTION
ABOUT THE ABUSE OF POWER




Slide 5

Lord Acton’s Note of Caution

• Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to
corrupt absolutely, Great men are almost always bad
men even when they exercise influence, not authority.

• If power corrupts indeed, what is meant by corruption?

• Lord Acton hinted that corruption is a function of
unlimited power which corrodes the conscience and
hardens the heart.

Slide 6

Topic Two
LESSONS FROM LORD ACTON’S
DICTUM




Slide 7

Lessons behind Acton’s Dictum

Lord Acton’s warning serves a useful purpose. It counsels
us to fashion government machinery in such a way as to:
• promote checks and balances in order to prevent the
arbitrary use of power by those who wield it.
• promote decentralization. Decentralization involves
the sharing of power and responsibilities such that
power is not monopolized by one person or unit who
would be tempted to abuse it.

• Finally, administrators have to be wary of the misuse
of power through discretionary authority.
Slide 8

Topic Three
FACTORS THAT DEGENERATE ETHICAL
STANDARDS IN PUBLIC SERVICE





Slide 9

Factors that Degenerate Ethical Standards
in Public Service
• The degeneration of public service ethics and
accountability in Africa can be attributed to a number of
factors which include the following, as outlined by
Shelukindo and Baguma:
• Political Corruption
• Economic Factors
• Socio-Cultural Factors



Slide 10

Political Corruption
• Sovereignty of politics rather than impartiality of
administration is being emphasized today in African
public service as was the case at independence
• The lack of effective leadership accounts for political
corruption
• The prevalence of soft states is also worrying.
• In a situation where the political system is so weak that
it becomes difficult to pursue the interest of the state,
a weak system emerges.
• Such a system is referred to as a soft state.
Slide 11

Economic Factors
• Two economic factors can be noted here.

• First there is erosion or decline in real income of civil
servants, a situation which makes it difficult for them
to make ends meet.

• Secondly, there is a spill over effect of political
corruption on economic factors or activities.


Slide 12

Socio-Cultural Factors
• The problem of socio-cultural factors can be
attributed to the fact that a typical African manager
or administrator is placed between a number of
social obligations and allegiances.
• On the one hand he/she is required to fulfil his
obligations to the organisation he works for.
• On the other hand, the typical African administrator
has got the interest of his/her tribe, region, extended
family and even friends to take care of.

Slide 13

Assignments/Activities
1. Explain Lord Acton’s caution on the use of power in
your own words.









Slide 14

Course Examiner: Dr. Daniel Appiah
Email: [email protected]
Mobile telephone: 0540628767

1
PAHS 301 – Political Settings of
Public Administration

Session 7: Politics, Actors, Power & Development

❖ Following discussions, participants should be able to
understand the following:
• The nature of politics and the political system
• Categories of actors influencing the political system
• Role of actors in influencing the political system
• Why some actors are more powerful in getting their
demands in the political system

2

Development as the Capability of Human Actors
to Achieve their Valued Functionings

❖ Amartya Sen’s Human
Capability Approach:



✓ Development is conceived
in terms of the “capability
that a person has to lead
the kind of life that he or
she has reason to value.”





• Amartya Sen won the
Nobel memorial prize in
Economic Sciences in 1998

3

❖ Different Priorities of Development: Which One First?


4
.

❖ Development Priorities are determined by the nature of
the political system, according to David Easton

5
.

Politics
The Nature of the Political System Determines
the Selection of Development Priorities
❖ “Politics has the power to make a difference and change
people's lives” (David Cameron 2019).



➢ What is meant by politics? “Politics is best conceptualised as
consisting of all the activities of co-operation, conflict and
negotiation involved in decisions about the use, production and
distribution of resources” (Adrian Leftwich, 2007:12)

6

The Political System: Inputs, System
Processing and Outputs

• David Easton conceived
of the political system as
integrating Inputs
(demands and support)
that flow into the system
and are processed by
authoritative policy
makers into Outputs
(decisions and actions).


.









➢ The Political System Theory







Slide 7

The Political System: Politics, Actors,
Ideas, and Power = Development

Source: Easton (1953), The Political System


Dr. Daniel Appiah, UGBS

The Political System and Its Functions



• The functions of a
political system may be
viewed from three
different levels:

1. The Inputs Level

2. The Process level

3. The Outputs Level


Slide 9
.

Categories of Actors Influencing Inputs,
Processes and Outputs
• State actors (OR ‘Official actors): “Those who have official
positions in government and whose responsibilities include
making or participating in making and implementing
authoritative decisions” (Grindle and Thomas, 1990: 59).

• International Actors: International governmental organizations
that influence public policy in countries. E.g. UN, AU, ECOWAS,
IMF, World Bank, DFID, GTZ, USAID, etc.

• Non-state Societal Actors: Individual citizens and groups or
associations formed by the citizens of a country that influence
public policy. E.g. Labour unions, business associations,
Professional associations, private media, think-tanks, etc.

10

State Actors: Inputs-Making and the Processing of
Inputs into Public Policies

❖ How powerful is the influence of the state actors
(President, Cabinet, Parliament, Civil Servants, etc) in
getting their inputs converted into outputs.

11

International Actors in Ghana’s Political System:
African Union, IMF, World Bank, etc.

❖ Commitments to External Aid Donors: Commitment to donor
conditionalities limits the autonomy of the Presidential-Cabinet
and Parliament to make certain public policies without the
approval of the donor agencies (UN, IMF, World Bank, etc).
12

How Powerful Are International Actors in Ghana?
Why was the NPP Government unable to end the
IMF programme by April 2018?
❑ 18 July, 2017: NPP Government announced:
“The [IMF] program will be coming to an
end next year April with the budget that
will be announced in November this year.
There is not going to be a question of
whether the program will be extended.”
(President Nana Akufo-Addo)

➢ September 2017: The IMF announced an
Agreement reached with the NPP Gov’t:
“The IMF Staff supports the completion
of the fourth review, …and the request
for program extension by one year.”
.

Ghana’s Political System: Influence of Non-
State Local Actors

❖ How powerful are the non-state local actors in influencing
public policies in Ghana’s political system?
• Thinks-Tanks and NGOs (IMANI, CDD-Ghana, IEA, OccupyGhana)
• Private sector business interest groups (AGI, PEF, etc)
• Political Parties (NDC, NPP, PNC, CPP, etc)
• The Private Media (New Crusading Guide, Enquirer, etc)
❑ Question for discussion: How powerful are these non-state
actors in getting their demands from government?

14

.
15
Non-State Local Actors: Influence on
Inputs and Outputs in Ghana

Ghana’s Development: What has been the influence
of international, state and non-state Actors?



































16

Conclusion: Influencing Development in Ghana:
Politics, Actors, Ideas and Power


❖ International Actors, State Actors, and Non-State Actors

Ghana: Sixty years
after independence.
How far & why?







17

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 8 –Policies of Discrimination Management


Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview
• In this section we shall look at representative
bureaucracy and affirmative action as two broad
policies fashioned to address discrimination against
women and minorities in society.
By the end of this session, students should be able to;
• Explain representative bureaucracy and affirmative
action
• Identify the discipline in the Civil Service
• Access the components of the Public Management
Environment
Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as
follows:

• Representative Bureaucracy
• Affirmative Action
• Discipline in the Civil Service
• Components of the Public Management Environment


Slide 3

Topic One
REPRESENTATIVE BUREAUCRACY








Slide 4

Representative Bureaucracy

• Representative bureaucracy refers to a situation whereby the
civil service is composed of people from all facets of society, in
terms of regional, ethnic, religious, gender and other
representations.
• For example, Article 35 (5) of the 1992 Constitution provides
that;
The state shall actively promote the integration of the peoples of
Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of
place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed
or other beliefs.
• Furthermore, Article 35 (6) (b) states specifically that, the state
shall take appropriate measures to achieve reasonable regional
and gender balance in recruitment and appointment to public
offices.

Slide 5

Topic Two
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION








Slide 6

Affirmative Action
• Affirmative action is a planned, aggressive, coherent
management programme to provide for equal
employment opportunity.
• Methods used to implement affirmative action focus on
recruiting persons who have been under-represented,
then working to keep them in employment and helping
them to develop careers.
• These methods include: a quota system, affirmative
action planning, and education.


Slide 7

• The Quota System
This system specifies that a certain percentage of appointments must
be reserved for women, minorities, physically challenged, etc.

• Affirmative Action Planning (Job Structuring)
With this, recruitment strategies can be designed to cater for women
and Minorities (for example) in areas where shortages exist, and also
to reduce career advancement barriers.

• Education (Career Development)
This strategy can be adopted for the under-represented groups. Career
counselling is aimed at making employees aware of promotion
opportunities, inventorying their skills, and devising individualized
plans for training to allow them to qualify for higher level positions.

Slide 8

Topic Three
DISCIPLINE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE








Slide 9

General Definition of Misconduct

• In the civil service, employees are disciplined for
misconduct and unsatisfactory service.
• The Civil Service Law, 1993 (Act 327) defines misconduct as
any act done by a civil servant without reasonable cause;
• which amounts to failure to perform in a proper manner
any duty imposed on him, or
• which contravenes any enactment relating to the civil
service, or
• which is otherwise prejudicial to the efficient conduct of
the functions of the civil service, or
• which tends to bring the civil service into disrepute.

Slide 10

Particular Types of Misconduct

The law spells out the following particular types of misconduct:
• to be absent from duty without leave or reasonable excuse
• to be insubordinate
• to be intoxicated during office hours
• to use without the consent of the prescribed authority, any
property or facilities provided for the purpose of the civil service
for some purpose not connected with official duties
• to engage in any activity outside official duties which is likely to
lead to taking improper advantage of one’s position in the civil
service
• to make unauthorized disclosure of classified and unclassified
information or document or both to a private person or to
another public officer.

Slide 11

Penalties for Misconduct

Misconduct attracts penalty. Penalties for misconduct in the
civil service as specified by the law include:
• Dismissal
• Removal
• Reduction in Rank
• Surcharge
• Reduction of Salary
• Deferment of Increment
• Stoppage of Increment
• Suspension
• Reprimand

Slide 12

Conduct of Disciplinary Proceedings

• It is important to note that in disciplining employees,
it is necessary that discipline should be directed
against the act and not the person involved.
• In so doing the manager should create an
atmosphere to convince the employee that the
disciplinary measure he/she is being subjected to, is
on account of the misconduct or infraction and not
the personality.
• Also administering discipline in private should be the
norm, except in situations of gross insubordination
or serious rule violations.

Slide 13

Topic Four
COMPONENTS OF THE PUBLIC
MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENT




Slide 14

The General Environment

• The general environment is defined very broadly as
everything external to the organisation or everything
outside of the boundaries of the organisation.

• For purposes of our discussion, we shall consider the
general environment in terms of its political, economic,
social, cultural and technological components.



Slide 15

The Political Environment
• According to Hodge and Anthony, the political system of
a society is the way in which the society is governed.
• The political system has a major impact on organisations
within the society and should be considered by
managers.
• Public organisations are profoundly influenced by
national power structures and processes such as
political parties, pressure and interest groups, political
policy, governmental laws, acts and regulations as well
as political and executive authorities.

Slide 16

The Economic Environment

• According to Hodge and Anthony (1984), the economic
system of a society is the way in which the society creates
and distributes wealth.
• It is also the system which allocates scarce resources to
competing individuals and groups.
• it is important to consider national economic factors like
the structure of the economy, patterns of economic
growth, inflation trends, rates of exchange trends, balance
of payment trends, and savings and investment trends, to
arrive at an appropriate decision.

Slide 17

The Social Environment
• The social environment can be seen as patterns of
interaction or interacting social roles and institutions
within a particular society.

• For management and organisational purposes, factors to
be considered when analyzing the social environment
include housing, education, training and human
development, among others.


Slide 18

The Cultural Environment
• The cultural system of a society is the society’s basic
beliefs, attitudes, role definitions and interactions.

• The cultural values and norms held by a society or
segments of that society are of importance when
their preferences and needs are to be assessed, and
the public manager must be responsive to this.



Slide 19

The Technological Environment
• Technology may be viewed as the use of machinery
and processes to produce and distribute goods and
services.

• Factors identified for analysis in the technological
environment include the nature of technology,
trends in technological development and the natural
and social impact of the uses of technology.


Slide 20

Assignments/Activities
1. Develop a one-page argument why you think
representative bureaucracy should be applied in
Ghana’s civil service.
2. Enquire from any public administrator (can be an
administrator from the District assembly) his/her views
on using affirmative action to address discrimination in
the public service.
3. How does the political environment currently impact
decision-making in Ghana’s political system?
4. Visit any public office and ask an administrator to
explain to you how the cultural environment affects
administrative decisions in the establishment.


Slide 21

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration
Session 9 –The Constitution and Public
Administration

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

This session explores the relevance of the constitution to
public administration.
By the end of this session, students should be able to:
• Explain, with examples, the two connotations of
constitutions
• Discuss the purpose and role of constitutions in
limiting government power
• Describe the various classifications of constitutions and
their relation with government

Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• The Constitution and its connotations
• The Role of The Constitution in Controlling Government
behavior
• Classifications of Constitutions




Slide 3

Topic One
THE CONSTITUTION AND ITS
CONNOTATIONS





Slide 4

What is a Constitution?

• In lay terms, a constitution is a set of rules which
governs an organisation.
• Every organisation needs a constitution to define the
powers, rights and duties of the organization's
members.





Slide 5

The Meanings of Constitution




According to K.C. Wheare (1966), the word constitution has at
least two meanings or connotations.
• First connotation
The first connotation which is widely used is:
The whole system of government of a country; the collection of
rules which establish and regulate or govern the government.
• Second Connotation
The second connotation of the use of constitution is when a
collection of legal and non-legal rules are embodied in a
document. This is the narrower or limited sense of the use of
constitution.
Slide 6

The Purpose of Constitutions

• Structure of Government
Constitutions provide the bases for or determine the type of governmental
structure in terms of organisations and institutions to put in place.
• Authorization and Allocation of powers
Constitutions also address the issue of power structure and relationships in
the system (e.g. the relationship between the three arms of government)
• Limitations
Constitutions specify limitations on governmental powers.
• Change and Adaptation
Constitutions specify ways and means of effecting changes in the political
system when the occasion demands, without recourse to violence.


Slide 7

Topic Two
THE ROLE OF THE CONSTITUTION IN
CONTROLLING GOVERNMENT BEHAVIOR





Slide 8

Types of Limitations
• The types of limitations imposed by constitutions differ
from one country to the other and consequently the
nature of the results.
• Limitations may be imposed on the executives or even
subordinate local institutions.
• The constitution sometimes imposes limitations on the
legislature with regard to the amendment process.
• It may even forbid the legislation from making laws on
certain subjects or issues.

Slide 9

Slide 10
Why Constitutional Limitations?

The following are among the reasons for imposing
constitutional limitations:
• To ensure the supremacy of the constitution such that it
is not changed carelessly or casually based on the
whims of the representatives or even the citizens.
• To ensure that amendments can only be made when
absolutely necessary and only after sober reflection and
deliberation.
• The constitution may be framed in such a way that the
judiciary enjoys a certain degree of independence from
the executive and the legislature.

• Limitations may also be imposed to make it
impossible to make certain laws.

• Constitutional limitation can be imposed for the
purpose of providing the necessary safeguard to allay
the fears of communities which have decided to
come together to form a union or common
government.


Slide 11

Topic Three
CLASSIFICATIONS OF
CONSTITUTIONS




Slide 12

Types of Constitutions

Constitutions can be classified as
• Written and unwritten
• Flexible and inflexible
• Presidential and parliamentary
• Single party and multi-party
• Federal and unitary
• Bi-Camera and Uni-camera
• Republican and monarchical
• Supreme and subordinate
• Separated powers and fused powers
Slide 13

Assignments/Activities
1. Explain constitution in your own words.
2. From your understanding of the constitution, give four
reasons why a State should have a constitution.
3. Read the amendment process of the 1992 constitution
for a better understanding of constitutional limitations.
4. Read the chapter on the Executive in the 1992
constitution and try to identify three limitations on the
executive arm of government.
5. Which of the classifications outlined in this session does
the 1992 Constitution fit into?
6. Which of these classifications do not apply to the 1992
Constitution?

Slide 14

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 10 –Governance

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview
This session has been fashioned to give an overview of
the concept of good governance.
By the end of this session, students should be able to:
• Explain that regime, government, and governance
mean different things
• Define and explain governance
• Discuss types of governance
• Explain bad and good governance
• Outline the criteria for good governance
• Discuss the characteristics of good governance
Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Conceptual notes on Regime, government, governance
• Types of governance
• Criteria for good governance
• Characteristics of Good Governance



Slide 3

Topic One
CONCEPTUAL NOTES ON REGIME,
GOVERNMENT, GOVERNANCE




Slide 4

Conceptual Notes
• Regime
This is the form and structure a state assumes. It is made up
of principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures
around which government actions converge.
• Government
Government refers to the officials who have been elected or
appointed and are responsible for taking binding decisions
(e.g. formulating policies) on behalf of the people.
• Governance
Governance is a process that is common to all types of
governments, regimes and administrations.
Slide 5

Topic Two
TYPES OF GOVERNANCE








Slide 6

Types of Governance

Four basic types of governance have been identified.
These are:
• Economic governance
• Political governance
• Administrative governance
• Systemic governance



Slide 7

• Economic Governance
This encompasses decision-making processes that have a bearing,
direct or indirect, on a country’s internal or external economic
activities.
• Political Governance
Political governance refers to political decision-making and policy
implementation of legitimate and authoritative state.
• Administrative Governance
This refers to a system of administrative policy implementation
carried out through an efficient, independent, accountable and open
public service.
• Systemic Governance
This type of governance involves the fusing together of the other
three types of governance described above.
Slide 8

Topic Three
CRITERIA FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE








Slide 9

What is Good Governance?
• Good governance is a specific type of governance.

• It revolves around three pillars, namely:

• Effective states, mobilized civil societies, and
productive private sectors

• These three factors have been acknowledged globally
as key to national advancement.

Slide 10

Criteria for Good Governance
Seven criteria for good governance stand out generally.
These are:
• legitimacy
• freedom of association and participation
• freedom of the media
• bureaucratic accountability and transparency
• freely available information
• cooperation between governments and civil society
organisations

Slide 11

Characteristics of Bad Governance
• Failure to make a clear separation between public and
private resources
• Failure to establish a predictable framework of law and
government behavior conducive to development
• Excessive rules and regulations, which impede the
functioning of markets and encourage rent seeking
• Priorities inconsistent with development, resulting in
misallocation of resources
• Narrowly based or non-transparent decision making

Slide 12

Topic Four
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
GOVERNANCE




Slide 13

Key Elements of Good Governance
• Transparency
Transparency refers to openness in the process of governance

• Corruption Control
Corruption is a universal problem, with complex causes. Its net
effect is commonly regarded as negative for all societies, especially
developing countries.

• Stakeholder Participation
Participation refers to the involvement of stakeholders and citizens
at large in the making, monitoring, review and termination of
policies and decisions that affect their lives.

Slide 14

Assignments/Activities
1. Distinguish between regime and administration.
2. In your own words explain the difference between
administrative governance and political governance.
3. Using economic governance and political governance as
examples, explain good governance to a friend.
4. Explain in your own words any three criteria for good
governance.
5. Mention 5 recent events in Ghana which you can
associate with good governance.
6. List five features that you can associate with good
governance
7. Write a short essay on bureaucratic accountability as an
element of good governance.
Slide 15

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 11 –Public Service Accountability

Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• In this session we shall discuss the concept of
accountability and problems that hinder the
development of the culture of public accountability in
Africa.
By the end of this session students should be able to:
• Explain accountability and the types of accountability
• Discuss the problems of public accountability in Africa
and the factors that contribute to these problems


Slide 2

Session Outline
The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Accountability in the Public Service
• Types of Accountability
• Problems of Ensuring Public Accountability
• Public Accountability in Africa: Contributing Factors



Slide 3

Topic One
ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE PUBLIC
SERVICE




Slide 4

Meaning of Accountability

• The two words that come to mind when
accountability is mentioned are responsibility and
answerability.

• This point of view has been echoed by Starling
(1998) who observes that a good synonym for the
term accountability is answerability.



Slide 5

Topic Two
TYPES OF ACCOUNTABILITY








Slide 6

Types of Accountability

Romzek and Dubnick (1987) have identified four
types of accountability namely:
• Bureaucratic Accountability
• Legal accountability
• Professional Accountability
• Political accountability



Slide 7

• Bureaucratic Accountability
The key element of this type of accountability is that it involves
superior/subordinate relationship.
• Legal Accountability
Legal accountability is grounded upon relations between a
controlling party outside the agency.
• Professional Accountability
This relies upon skilled and expert employees for providing
appropriate solutions.
• Political Accountability
Political accountability asks: Who does the public
administrator represent?

Slide 8

Topic Three
PROBLEMS OF ENSURING PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY




Slide 9

Problems of Public Accountability

Caiden has presented some of the problems that may thwart
efforts towards the attainment of public accountability in Africa.
These are as follows:
• Unconstitutional Government
Under such a situation, the constitution is but a sham. It is not
grounded in democratic ethos.
• Secret Government
Public accountability does not thrive in a situation of secret
government.
• Special Interest Government
Special interest may succeed in capturing a government. When
that happens, the government may only satisfy the parochial
interest of the group much to the neglect of the wider public.

Slide 10

• Bureaucratic Government
The bureaucracy may become so powerful that the government only plays a
subservient role to their interests.
• Collaborative Government
This refers to a situation where the wide diffuse system invites conspiracy, deceit,
fraud, irresponsibility and evasion of public accountability.
• Discretionary Government
Discretionary power is inevitable in modern government but it is sometimes
abused and makes it difficult to put in place accountability measures.
• Professional Government
Public accountability may also suffer in a situation where professionals take the
kind of posture that makes it extremely difficult to scrutinize the affairs of their
public clients.

Slide 11

Topic Four
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY IN
AFRICA: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS




Slide 12

The Nature of Public Accountability in Africa:
Contributing Factors
The following factors impact public accountability in Africa:
• Poor working conditions
• Recruitment policies that tend to ignore the merit system.
• Lack of opportunities for professional development.
• Underdeveloped public service culture.
• Political interference.
• Weak public institutions especially those with oversight
functions.
• Loss of confidence by the citizenry in some of these institutions
especially the Judiciary and other law enforcement agencies.
• Demands from the extended family system.
• Lack of vigilance on the part of citizens.
Slide 13

Assignments/Activities
1. Mention four (4) factors which, in your opinion,
hinder public service accountability in Ghana.
2. Mention three measures put in place to address
public service accountability in the Fourth Republic of
Ghana.
3. Mention two events that suggest that these
accountability measures are being implemented in
Ghana.
4. How should public servants (especially civil servants)
relate to the public?
Slide 14

College of Education
School of Continuing and Distance Education
PAHS 301
Political Setting Of
Administration

Session 12 – Public Accountability in the
Fourth Republic of Ghana
Lecturer: Dr. Richardson Azunu, UGBS
Contact Information: [email protected]




2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Session Overview

• In this section, we shall look at some measures
intended to promote public service accountability in
Ghana. Such measures include constitutional
provisions, laws and regulations.
By the end of this section students will be able to
• Point out specific measures that have been put in
place to enhance public accountability in Ghana,
• Assess the Constitutional Provisions
• Identify the Institutions of Accountability in Ghana.

Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as
follows:

• Accountability Measures
• Constitutional Provisions
• Institutions of Accountability



Slide 3

Topic One
ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES








Slide 4

Accountability Measures

• All Ghanaian governments (both civilian and military) have
in one way or the other shown concern over the issue of
public accountability.
• Ayee (1994) for instance points out to three reasons why
the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC)
government made accountability a key issue of its political
agenda. These are;
i. the quest for a cleaner administration and improved moral
conduct
ii. the quest for national development,
iii. the belief that accountability would promote peace,
stability and justice
Slide 5

Topic Two
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS








Slide 6

Constitutional Provisions

The Fourth Republican Constitution has been ratified “In solemn
declaration and affirmation of our commitment to freedom, justice,
probity and accountability”.
• The concern for public accountability also finds expression in (article
37 (1) of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) which states
as follows:
• “The state shall endeavour to secure and protect a social order
founded on the ideals and principles of freedom, equality, justice
probity and accountability”.
• This Act which is in conformity with chapter twenty-four of the
Constitution requires certain categories of public officials to declare
their assets and liabilities under the following circumstances:
i. Before taking office
ii. At the end of every four years, and
iii. At the end of the term of his/her office
Slide 7

Topic Three
INSTITUTIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY








Slide 8

Commission for Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)
The CHRAJ was thus established by Act 456 of 1993 (The
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice
Act) which defines its objectives as follows:
• To investigate complaints of violations of fundamental
human rights and freedom, injustice and corruption;
abuse of power and unfair treatment of persons by
public officers in the exercise of their duties, with power
to seek remedy in respect of such acts or omissions and
to provide for other related purposes.


Slide 9

The Economic and Organised Crime
Office
• The EOCO is a specialised agency which is required to
monitor, investigate and on the authority of the
Attorney General, prosecute any offence involving
serious financial or economic loss to the state. Its
functions include:
• To investigate any suspected offence provided for by
law which appears to the executive director on
reasonable grounds to involve serious financial or
economic loss to the state or to any state organisation
or other institution in which the state has financial
interest

Slide 10

• Monitor such economic activities as the executive
director considers necessary with a view to detecting
crimes likely to cause financial and economic loss to
the State:
• Take such other reasonable measures as the director
considers necessary to prevent the commission of
crimes which may cause financial or economic loss to
the State; and
• Co-operate with such international agencies as the
Director considers appropriate for any of the above
purposes.

Slide 11

The Role of the Media

• The media has over the years played a significant role in
upholding public accountability in Ghana.
• This is especially so in the fourth Republic where the
vibrant print and electronic media have played a
watchdog role by reporting several cases of corruption,
abuse of power and general misconduct on the part of
politicians and other public officials.
• This must however be viewed against the background
of inaccurate reporting in some case.

Slide 12

The Auditor-General’s Office
• The Office of the Auditor-General has been in existence
since colonial times.
• Article 187 of the Fourth Republican Constitution
mandates the Auditor-General to audit the public
accounts of Ghana and of all public offices.
• The Auditor-General has through his/her report brought
to light several cases of corruption, embezzlement
misapplication of public funds, etc.


Slide 13

Assignments/Activities
1. Read chapter 18 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to
know more about the mandate of CHRAJ.
2. Do you think CHRAJ has discharged its responsibilities
creditably? State three reasons for your opinion.
3. List five institutions/agencies/organisations to which
public servants are accountable.
4. Explain in your own words the five dimensions of
accountability identified in this session.
5. Briefly discuss public accountability measures under the
Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana.
6. What role does the Public Account Committee of
Parliament play in enhancing public sector
accountability in Ghana?
Slide 14