Alexa+-+ALD2+-+FA12

1. The president of Ghana is John Dramani Mahama. 2. John Dramani Mahama is the president of Ghana. Although he is president, he must share the power among the parliament, cabinet, council of state, and the independent judiciary system. Ghana is not a monarchy or a democracy, but a mix of the both. Ghana is looked at as a model for other striving countries in Africa. Ghana is located on the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa. They have fairly low terrain with Lake Volt being their most famous man-made lake. Ghana is particularly stable in their economy with their main export being gold. Along with the high gold count in the grounds of Ghana, they are the world highest distributors of cocoa. Ghana is a highly populated area with the total amount of people residing there at 25 million. Ghana has a diverse culture based among many different religions and languages. The main languages include English, Akan, and Ewe. Some major religions followed in Ghana are Christianity, Islam, and other indigenous religions. 3. The current president of Ghana is John Dramani Mahama, formerly knows as the vice president of Ghana before July 2012. Mahama took over as president when President Mills died in July of this year. Mahama is set to serve until December when the new elections come up. He may then be reelected or placed by someone new. Mahama was originally elected as a member of parliament in 1996 where he served as communications minister until 2001. He is very formally recognized for his talents in communications, writing, and history. During his presidency he plans to focus on helping the poor, hence the title “Champion of the underprivileged”. He would also like to focus on the mass plastic pollution in Ghana. 4. As Ghana is currently a member of the AU, UN and many other peace societies, they have lots of people who agree with their thinking. Kenya and Ghana have close ties and have deep roots of peace. They connect the east and west Africa and President Kofour supports Ghana's platforms. Another friend of Ghana's is Jacob Gedleyihlekisa of South Africa. Although they do not go back far, the former president Mills was working to deepen the ties and hopes for it to continue with Mahama. Both countries would like to further develop their economies and can do that by collaborating ideas. King Mohammed VI of Morocco has also recently expressed interest in becoming closer to Ghana. There have been visits to discuss topics that they both agree on. 5. The overall ranking for Ghana is 66 out of 100 (7th). This is most likely because Ghana has a stable government and economy with fairly basic human rights and human development. Ghana, although great compared to other places, has some issues that every country faces, such as poverty, pollution, and violence. Ghana is currently in the process of fixing these conflicts which is why they are not ranked first. Safety and Rule of Law-72/100 which declined from 2006 by one point. Their score is higher in this area because of their stable government. Rule of Law-85(5th) Accountability-61(8th) Personal Safety-N/A National Security-N/A Participation and Human Rights-69/100 which stayed the same since 2006. Ghana received a higher score in this category because they offer many opportunities for the citizens to become involved in the government and around the country. Participation-72(9th) Rights-75(3rd) Gender-N/A Sustainable Economic Opportunity-53/100 which declined two points from 2006. Ghana may have scored lower in this area because although it has two dependable resources for trading, other countries may have a more plentiful or valuable resource. Public Management-N/A Business Environment-N/A Infrastructure-N/A Rural Sector-N/A Human Development-70/100 which improved one point from 2006. Ghana ranks slightly higher in this section because of how well kept it is compared to others. Ghana has some issues with water pollution, but compared to other countries they could be know as clean. Welfare-N/A Education-66(10th) Health-N/A 6. John Dramani Mahama is a relatively new president, so he does not have all his platforms set and ready. Mahama’s current platforms stand to be helping the poor and reducing the pollution of plastic. He stands firmly on this topic because of their location by the sea and how much plastic is being wasted in the world. He sees how global warming is affecting the earth and wants to stop the movement. He does not have many foes on this topic because it is a decision everyone tends to agree with. Most people in the world today want to focus on the reduction of pollution, not creating more. One of his greatest supporters is the Plastic Pollution Coalition. One of Mahama’s other platforms is helping the underprivileged. He is focusing on this so that the civilians of Ghana may have a better quality of life and and may be able to help prosper the country of Ghana. He plans to give money the poor and provide education for children in Ghana. Again, many do not oppose his views on this because of the need to help the poor of the world and strive to help the countries citizens succeed.

Works Cited

Abor, Joshua, and Peter Quartey. "Abstract." //Issues in SME Development in Ghana and South Africa // 39 (2010): 1. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. .*

"Ghana." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Global Issues In Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.

"Ghana Profile." BBC News. BBC, 25 July 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. < http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13433792>.

Patton, Jane. "Plastic Pollution Coalition Notable Supporter His Excellency John Dramani Mahama Sworn in as President of the Republic of Ghana". Plastic Pollution Coalition. Creative Commons 2010 Plastic Pollution Coalition, 25 July 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. < http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/2012/07/plastic-pollution-coalition-notable-supporter-his-excellency-john-dramani-mahama-sworn-in-as-president-of-the-republic-of-ghana/>.

Smith, Patrick. "The Africa Report." Theafricareport.com. The Africa Report, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .

Wrong, Michela. "The making of a president." Spectator 1 Sept. 2012: 37. Global Issues In Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.

2011 Ibrahim Index of African Governance: Summary. Rep. N.p.: Mo Imbrahim Foundation, n.d. Print.*