Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose? Revisiting Dennis Austin’s Politics in Ghana, 1946–1960, in the Light of the Politics of the Fourth Republic

Just two years after the publication of Politics in Ghana, 1946–1960 (PG, 46–60), the First Republic collapsed. The Second and Third Republics faced the same fate. The Fourth Republic (came into force almost a generation after the publication of PG, 46–60 in 1993) has lasted longer than the previous Republics. Should this longevity be a cause of joy and optimism among scholars and Ghanaians? As the decades pile up after the publication of PG, 46–60 and drawing insights from the work, can it be argued—and with specific reference to the politics of the Fourth Republic—plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (to wit as things change things simply remain the same)? This chapter will attempt to answer these questions by critically examining some selected themes such as leadership, state formation, political parties, election campaigns, ethnic nationalism, political parties, etc. in PG, 46–60 (supplemented by other works in the Austin corpus) in the light of the politics of the Fourth Republic.