State incapacitation for partisan political interest: Assessing government’s responses to the neo-galamsey crisis in Ghana

Partisan politics have influenced state institutions in many emerging democracies in Africa. Research highlights the importance of state capacity and institutional trust for societal transformation. Yet, less attention has been placed on how a democratic state may limit its own effectiveness to serve partisan interests. Ghana is currently experiencing environmental challenges due to extensive damage caused by ‘illegal’ Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) activities, which have caused significant environmental harm to productive agricultural lands and water resources. This ecological impact raises questions about public trust in state institutions and the influence of electoral politics. This paper applies theoretical perspectives related to state capacity to examine recent government actions addressing environmental harms in Ghana. The analysis reveals that partisanship can affect the state’s capacity to effectively resolve such crises, potentially impacting coercive, legal, bureaucratic, and administrative functions. Findings suggest that challenges regarding state capacity and institutional trust may be associated with partisan dynamics and that political competition has affected the development of effective state response in Ghana.