First published in 1975. Legatee of a vast empire, the Commonwealth still carries the imprint of its past, and in doing so it may be said to have a collective identity which, in a very varying degree, each of its members exhibits. This can sustain a collective inquiry into the political history and institutions of countries which were once governed within the British Empire. The present series of books is intended to express that interest and those traditions. They are presented not as a guide to the Commonwealth as a corporate entity, but as studies either in the politics and recent history of its member states or of themes which are of common interest to several of the countries concerned. This volume It examines the attempt to restore, and the failure to maintain, a parliamentary Westminster form of government in Ghana, a study in 'Commonwealth Legacies' which brings together scholars from Ghana, Britain and North America.

First published in 1975. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Originally published in 1972, this book examines the way in which the military/police regime in Ghana, which overthrew President Nkrumah in February 1966, performed two overlapping tasks – those of establishing itself as a recognised government, and of pursuing its chosen objective of eventually restoring democratic civilian rule. The author, who conducted interviews with people at many levels in Ghanaian politics, including the majority of members of General Ankrah’s Cabinet, traces the progress of the military regime, showing that it was successful in building up public support and opening up new political avenues, but that it was unable to make any fundamental economic changes. He argues that to understand the operation of the military government, it is necessary to look at its relationship with most influential sections of the civilian population, and clearly demonstrates that without the co-operation of such civilians, the new regime could never have achieved as much as it did.