Chapter 6 Interrogating the Relationship between the Politics of Patronage and Electoral Violence in Ghana By Afua A. Lamptey and Naila Salihu Abstract Political patronage is quite common in most political systems across the globe. In Africa, the return to multi-party democracy was initially greeted with high expectations, particularly as it was seen as a possible remedy for neo-patrimonialism with its attendant patronage politics. Nonetheless, the system has continued to perpetuate itself not only in Ghana but also in other African countries despite some structural interventions over the years. This has been attributed to several factors among which are the zero-sum nature of political competition and the weak nature of formal structures for guaranteeing physical security, status and wealth. Patronage trends are especially heightened in election years when political parties employ an elaborate network to win political power in order to control access to the vast political and economic resources often vested in the presidency. Individuals or clients tend to attach themselves to'big men' or patrons who are capable of securing their needs. The patrons in turn resort to extracting resources from the state, kinfolk, followers and other sources to meet the expectations of their'clients'. This has the tendency to turn elections into fierce competitions often with violent repercussions, particularly in instances where supporters of political aspirants are prepared to go to any extent to ensure that their patrons emerge victorious in elections. 176