Key Points
- Fake political promises are vague, unrealistic, and lack funding details.
- Ask critical questions about feasibility, funding, and past performance.
- Use fact-checking tools and watchdog reports to verify political promises.
As Ghana’s electoral period escalates, politicians flood rallies, social media, and campaign locations with grandiose promises to secure voter support.
Essential characteristics of misleading political pledges
Deceptive political promises exhibit distinct attributes. A significant signal is vagueness, where politicians make broad declarations like “We will eradicate poverty” or “We will enhance education” without specific timelines or actionable plans. Genuine commitments are defined by specificity, measurability, and time limitations.
Politicians sometimes pledge to create millions of jobs or build thousands of schools within short timelines, frequently exceeding Ghana’s financial capacity. Citizens can verify the accuracy of such claims by referencing documents from the Ministry of Finance
Recycled assurances are also common. Politicians often restate unfulfilled promises from previous campaigns. Reports from CDD-Ghana and IMANI Ghana scrutinize and highlight these promises, providing evidence for voters to assess their credibility.
Lastly, watch out for populist rhetoric designed to stir emotions. Promises like “We will put money in your pockets” may sound appealing but often lack a clear plan for execution. Such language is crafted to generate excitement, not results.
Techniques for recognizing misleading political pledges
To detect fraudulent promises, voters should ask critical questions: “How will this be achieved?” and “Where will the funding come from?” A legitimate commitment should adhere to the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. A pledge to “construct 200 hospitals” must specify the timeline, geographic areas, and funding sources. Electorate can ascertain financial capacity via reports from the Ghana Audit Service.
Another method is to assess consistency. Have similar obligations been made in the past? Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) like [CDD-Ghana] and media platforms like Fact-Check Ghana track historical promises and party performance. If a party pledged to build 200 factories in a previous election but delivered only 10, voters should be skeptical of new promises to build 300 factories.
Fact-checking organizations like Dubawa Ghana can help expose such claims by providing side-by-side comparisons of past and present pledges.
Tools and resources for evaluating political commitments
Ghanaians have access to essential tools and resources to evaluate political commitments. IMANI Ghana and CDD-Ghana produce “Manifesto Scorecards” that evaluate the feasibility and fulfillment of promises made in previous elections.
Fact-checking platforms like [Dubawa Ghana] and [Fact-Check Ghana] offer real-time verification of political claims during debates, rallies, and public speeches. They evaluate the accuracy of political speeches, policy declarations, and public statements, flagging claims that are misleading or untrue.
Additionally, live fact-checking during televised debates allows citizens to see which claims are false as they are made. Fact-checkers from Dubawa Ghana and major media platforms offer on-the-spot analysis of claims made by political candidates. This enables voters to make real-time assessments of whether campaign promises are realistic or merely empty slogans.
Fortunately, Ghanaian voters have access to essential tools to assess political promises. By tracking party manifestos, reviewing historical commitments, and questioning the source of funding, voters can assess the sincerity of campaign promises.
