Getting Smart and Scaling Up: The Impact of Organized Crime on Governance in Developing Countries. A Case Study of Ghana
Abstract
This case study presents findings of field research on the impact of organized crime on governance and development in Ghana. The objective is not to paint a negative picture of Ghana, but rather to highlight core structural weaknesses that enable organized crime to flourish largely uncontested, placing significant, albeit not immediately obvious, pressure on the democratic and development gains made over the past two decades.
The case study is divided into five sections. Section I begins with an overview of the political context in Ghana, with specific reference to the emergence of democratic politics and the nature of the political economy in the post-independence era. It reviews trends in Ghana’s economic development and governance since 1992, and examines the nature of formal and informal institutions and prevalent norms of behaviour. Section II examines the nature and scope of organized crime in Ghana, namely drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal mining, electronic waste dumping, cybercrime, human trafficking, and small arms trafficking and manufacturing. Section III focuses on the impact of organized crime on governance and development, while Section IV suggests some initial recommendations.
Citation
Aning, K.; Kwarkye, S.B.; Pokoo, J. Getting Smart and Scaling Up: The Impact of Organized Crime on Governance inDeveloping Countries. A Case Study of Ghana. Center on International Cooperation, New York University, New York, USA (2013) 38 pp.
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