The Function of Political Culture in New Democracies: Ghana & USA

This assignment is a project proposal for a final research paper, comparing the function of political culture in new democracies, specifically focusing on Ghana and the United States. The paper will examine election practices, bias, and fairness, as well as the trend of democratic development in both countries since independence. The research will adopt an exploratory approach, reviewing relevant literature and utilizing descriptive methodology to compare scholarly views. The study will include an introduction, a comparison of election practices, a hypothesis, a literature review, an empirical analysis, and a conclusion. The anticipated findings suggest a significant variance in the level of democracy and electoral practices between the two nations, based on their histories, power succession practices, and levels of civilization. The proposal outlines the study's structure, theoretical approach, data sources, and expected outcomes, providing a comprehensive plan for the final paper.

THE FUNCTION OF POLITICAL CULTURE IN A NEW DEMOCRACY; A COMPARISON OF
GHANA AND UNITED STATES ELECTION
1) Introduction
Different countries/ nations have operated under different personalities, who employ different leadership
styles and ideologies. This has affected the political and social aspect of life in the respective countries.
This can be witnessed in the way leaders are selected, the expression of ideas from the “grassroot people”
and the level of opposition in a country. In other words, the different leadership styles preferred by
different leaders of the different respective countries have greatly affected the level of democracy.
Nonetheless, research studies have reported a significant dynamism and revolution in the level of
democracy. In the past, most countries were led by typically authoritative leaders (rulers), who never gave
chance/ freedom of expression for the local man1.
This study therefore intends to critically examine, analyze and evaluate the functions of politics and
culture in new democracy. A comparison of the United States of America and Ghana will be used as an
exemplary case study to reflect the trend of democracy in different counties2. The study will examine the
state of democracy in the two different countries by deeply evaluating the modes of conduction general
elections in Ghana and the United States of America. The research study will further scrutinize the trend
of democratic development from independence up to date5.
2) The main theoretical approach
The research study will adopt an exploratory mode of evaluation and analysis by succinctly reviewing
relevant literatures in relation to the states of democracy in different nations more especially Ghana and
the United States. There are significantly many research reports that have been written in relation to the

political contexts of many countries in the world and the prevalent state of democracy. The research
reports will utilize such resources in coming up with the empirical reflection of the state of democracy in
the two countries3.
3) The sources to be used
The study will make use of already established reports in regard to the topic of research study. In other
words, the research study will make a critical examination, analysis, evaluation and critiques of the
available literatures resources. Descriptive methodological approach will be employed to compare the
views and findings of the various scholars, which will then help in ensuring reliability and dependability
of the research findings. Furtherly, recent news reports and human right survey will be also be used as a
further basis for establishing the current state of the economy.
4) Outline of your main argument
The research study will be structured in a logical flow as illustrated subsequently
a. Introduction of the study
b. A comparison of election practices, biasness and fairness between United States of
America and Ghana
c. The hypothesis on electoral system and democracy between Ghana and United states of
America
d. Literature review/ conceptual framework on the level of democracy and electoral process
between the United states of America and Ghana
e. The relevance of discussing the state of democracy and electoral practices between the
two countries
f. An empirical analysis on the trend of development of democracy between the United
States and Ghana
g. Conclusion of the research finding

5) Possible research findings
Based on the current state of the United States and Ghana as a nation, it is substantial and imperative
to hold a hypothetical believe that the research findings will have a significant variance in the level of
democracy as well as the electoral practices4. The anticipation can be based on the past democratic
history, the practices in relation to succession of power, and the level of civilization between the two
countries.

List of References
1. lmond, Gabriel Abraham, and Sidney Verba. The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy
in five nations. Princeton university press, 2015.
2. Apter, David Ernest. Ghana in transition. Vol. 1260. Princeton University Press, 2015.
3. Aron, Raymond. Main currents in sociological thought: Montesquieu, Comte, Marx, Tocqueville
and the sociologists and the revolution of 1848. Routledge, 2017.
4. Ayelazuno, Jasper. "Two Decades of Liberal Democracy in Ghana: A Critical Political Economy
Perspective." In National Democratic Reforms in Africa, pp. 63-88. Palgrave Macmillan, New
York, 2015.
5. Carothers, Thomas, and Richard Youngs. "Democracy is not Dying." Foreign Affairs 11 (2017).