Managing Election- Relation Violence for Democratic Stability in Ghana Political patronage, which is one of the key characteristics of neo­patrimonial political systems, refers to a direct exchange relationship between two actors of unequal status and power. It is based on the control by one of the actors of critical resources(such as land, water, jobs, skills, state-related resources) and the disposition of the other actor to establish'a moral dependence to get access to them'(Chubb, 1982:44; Buve, 1992). This dependence is often manifested in political loyalty and services. Within the context of elections, it can be construed as the ways in which party politicians distribute material resources, public jobs or special favours in exchange for personal loyalty and electoral support. The political party is the major unit in this use of the term (Weingrod, 1968). Key writes that patronage may be considered 'as the response of government to the demands of an interest group – the party machinery – that desires a particular policy in the distribution of public jobs'(Key, 1964). Thus, patronage is best thought of as an incentive system – a political currency with which to purchase political activity and political responses(Sorauf, 1961). The chief functions of patronage are: maintaining an active party organization, promoting intra-party cohesion, attracting voters and supporters, financing the party and its candidates, procuring favourable government action, and creating party discipline in policy making. In essence, political parties exchange jobs and favours in their quest for support at election time(Sorauf, 1961). Political patronage in this context is, therefore, how political leaders seek to turn public institutions and public resources to their own ends, and how favours of various kinds are exchanged for votes. Patronage networks in politics are, of course, not peculiar to Africa. In most political systems across the globe, personal 181