The re-emergence of new forms of policing has led to political interest and dictatorship.After great thinkers like J.J. Rousseau perceived man as being in chain since birth, the DPT gives a different perception of politics in Africa and Cameroon in particular.

1. DECEPTIVE POWER THEORY: THE DEPTH OF REALISM
By
Fandjio Mougang Bernard Christian (MSc. POS)
UNIVERSITY OF BUEA
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Human society has been so complex with issues of power and its origin. The concept of power
has always been at the helm of political and socio-economic debates in the world, also to
understand what is power? And what are the different types of power? Due to the influence
theorists or philosophers who explain the dimensions of power an influence and authority. The
famous writer and thinker Benito De Niccolo De Machiavelli in his book “The Prince” gives an
in-depth of how power can be actualized to achieve desired goals in life and how its utilization in
the art of statecraft and nation-building is valuable. Pioneer thinkers or founders of power and its
maximal use are realists, who used it to control other states, subject others to slavery and slave
trade, decide who gets what (independence), and the control state (hegemony or neocolonialism).
Realism gave birth to elites and their undisputable authority within nations. As such, this theory
explains the various methods or strategies used by realists, to control certain African leaders
through assimilation (which some African leaders are still under the shadow, with what is termed
today as the Hegemonic System) and colonization (which has been reformulated as
Neocolonialism) to approve policies which suits their interest and not that of the Africans.
According to Jonathan Haslam, realism is a spectrum of ideas, often associated with realpolitik
as both are based on the management of pursuit, possession and application of power. Here
power is a concept primarily thought of in terms of material resources necessary to induce harm
or coerce others( Masses), therefore, we can say that realism posits that “ Might is Right” seen

2. from Thucydides “ Peloponnesian War” and Machiavelli “The Prince”. Deception is a trick or
scheme used to get what you want, it occurs when you deceive. According to the Cambridge
Dictionary; the term deception is seen as an act of hiding the truth, especially to get an
advantage. This act violates rational rules and considered to be a negative violation of
expectations. There are various forms of deception which are: lies, equivocations, concealments,
exaggerations and understatements.
The Deceptive Power Theory (DPT) explains the maneuver of politicians and elites, to achieve
their goals or objectives without any resistance and conflict (the promulgation of laws favoring
elites and politicians (humunity, concentration of power on a single person example president
chief of arm force, chief of constitutional council, just to name these few) and strategic
appointments. The DPT portrays an “honest” pattern of deceiving individuals or the nation. It
goes at the helm of politics that even the so-called opposition and other players in the game of
power manipulation are alienated to the government. Now one takes the situation of Cameroon,
where the issues of democracy and democratization (the process of delegating powers as a
democratic country remains questionable) due to contemporary debates to test the veracity of the
concept in African countries.
Moverover, civil societies are voiceless, thoughts, desires and immediate needs are not
considered during policy making and articulation. This showcase a gap between the rich and the
poor, as the rich become richer (through embezzlement, corruption and occultism) and the poor
loose hope (due to high taxes inflicted on them in markets, destruction and seizure of native
lands and properties). Parliamentarians considered to be the “voice of the people” neglect the
population, but rather secure their interest and that of the government (Head of state and elites).
Realism and elitism (is the ability for those with the understanding or intelligence to carry out
projects for the mass or the poor) can be perceived as neo-slavery in the actual sense.

3. The figure below illustrates the Deceptive Power Theory applied in contemporary politics.
A
Elite Power (economicand political)
C1 (Feedback) A1 (Deception) Techniques:
Promises
Bribes
Appointment
C B1 (Decision) B
Masses InfluencedCivil Society
Deceptive Power Theory
Elites (centralized and decentralized authorities) make decisions to secure their interest and
fulfill their demands without any conflict or resistance. This is because they adopt devise
strategies which will render the civil society powerless and obedient of their will; real deception
strategies (acting as angels but devils in disguise) so as to deceive the international system and
the masses. After which they obtain a feedback loop and study how to ameliorate their tricks. A
good example is the donation of 500000 laptops to youths in different state and private
universities by the president of the Republic of Cameroon, in actual sense is not to meet the
immediate needs of a digital economy nor that of youths but to obtain blessings in 2017. The
donation is fatal to the economy, because it’s a loan of about 75billions that the state will have to
pay back due time. Thus, those laptops are the cost for each youths by the president (before each
student collects he/she, registers, which can be easily used for elections, also the donation will

4. help to monitor the youths, because of the ineffective registration of mobile operators) after
succeeding to acquire votes and plunge the economy in debts, for which future generations will
live to pay or submit to the rules and demands of the West. This goes in line with the partnership
agreement between Cameroon and the European Union (EU). That is how powerful the elites are
in implementing their tricks and obtaining their desires, something which the DPT is gears to
portray.
In conclusion, the DPT pure showcase the realist tendencies and how the art of deception flows
from the elites to the civil society and to the masses in order to secure elite interest (offices are
held for 10years, there is continuity of power in certain positions). The theory also explain the
weak democracy is in Cameroon and how Cameroonians are cowards, who fear to fight for
future of the state. This recall J. J. Rousseau, who said “everyone is born free but in chains”.
References:
Jonathan Haslam (2013) No Virtue Like Necessity-Realist thoughts in International Relation
Since Machiavelli
Mosca G (1939) The Ruling Class. London: McGraw- Hill Book Company
Nicolas Machiavelli (1532), The Prince