This book concentrates on the 1969–1982 period in Ghana, focusing on two interrelated facets of African politics: the decline of state power and authority, and adjustments to political recession.
1. The Texture of Ghanaian Politics: An Overview Part One: The Components of Politics: An Anatomy of Political Structures 2. The Social Foundations of Political Action 3. State Structures and Political Institutions 4. The Structure of Authority: Leaders, Patrons, and Ruling Coalitions Part Two: The Meanings and Uses of Politics: An Anatomy of Political Processes 5. Symbolic Processes: Political Ideas, Ideologies, and Idea-Logics 6. The Changing Political Economy: Policies, Performance, and Responses Part Three: The Dynamics of Politics: An Anatomy of Political Interactions 7. The Second Republic: The Fragility of Ethnic Elitism 8. The Acheampong Years: The Disintegration of Coercion 9. 1978–1 979: Turmoil, Experimentation, and Restructuring 10. The Limann Civilian Episode: The Failure of Competitive Politics Part Four: The Ghanaian Political Cycle 11. Perspectives on Past and Future Patterns of Continuity and Change 12. Ghana as a Political Microcosm
