Dynamics and Trajectories of Youth Participation in Democratic Practice in Ghana’s Fourth

Abstract

Ghana’s January 7, 2001, and the subsequent January 7, 2009, and January 7, 2017 power changes
satisfied Huntington’s “Two Turnover Test thereby signifying “deepening democracy” in Ghana.
That notwithstanding, Ghana’s democratic participation experience has some deficits. Whether or
not democratic participation turns to privilege the aged at the expense of the youth has not
adequately been expounded. This paper argues that the potency of the youth to govern has not been
unearthed empirically. Using in-depth interviews with selected political scientists, youth leaders
and political activists, this paper interrogates implications of youth marginalization for selfempowerment and migration for greener pastures. Findings showed that direct democratic
participation has been the preserve of the aged in most African countries and that the youths are
marginalized because it is assumed that they are not “matured” enough to govern. It concludes that
youth’s marginalization is a function of youth’s self-disempowerments and migration; hence, it
recommends a comprehensive policy to enable the young people to make informed political
choices and decisions