Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Political Science
Committee Chair
Erik Herron
Committee Member
Matthew Jacobsmeier
Committee Member
Mason Moseley
Committee Member
Tamba M'bayo
Abstract
This dissertation explores how religion shapes voting behavior in emerging democracies, focusing on the case of Ghana. Using the Afrobarometer survey, the first stage of the analysis shows that Pentecostals are not statistically different from Roman Catholics in terms of voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidates in 2007-2008 and 2013-2014. However, in 2016-2017, Pentecostal voters seem to have behaved differently from Roman Catholic voters. The dissertation subsequently explores why this variation in voting patterns emerged. This dissertation argues that explicit religious appeals made by presidential candidates and explicit religious appeals made by Pentecostal leaders for presidential candidates are associated with this variation. The results from an analysis of online materials show that presidential candidates made the most explicit religious appeals in 2016-2017. Also, Pentecostal leaders made the most religious appeals for the NPP presidential candidates in 2016-2017. Hence, there is evidence of a connection between explicit religious appeals and the behavior of Pentecostals. This dissertation contributes to the scholarship on voting behavior and the role of religion in politics, especially in Ghana. Most research on Ghana's elections has emphasized the importance of ethnicity in determining voting outcomes. The findings in this dissertation suggest that religious factors cannot be ignored.
Recommended Citation
Nimako, Maxwell Afriyie, "From the Pews to the Ballot Box: How Religion Shapes Voting Behavior in Ghana." (2024). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12312.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12312