Theme: Politics & Economics
Topic: Is chimp politics like ours?
Listen to the podcast episode here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-210902
Comprehension Questions
- What term is used to describe the most successful and powerful male that leads a chimpanzee group?
- What strategy do older male chimpanzees use to maintain their influence after they’re too old to be alpha males?
- How do weaker male chimpanzees sometimes overthrow a stronger alpha male, according to the transcript?
- What similarity does Neil mention between alpha chimpanzees and human politicians at the end of the podcast?
Note down useful words and phrases you could use in the discussion.
Discussion Questions
Think about your answers to these questions:
- How can looking at how chimps live in groups help us understand human politics better?
- Do political groups form mainly because they have the same ideas or because they want to win?
- Are our political actions mostly because of our animal nature or because of what we learn from our culture?
- How do people who are not official leaders still control what happens in governments today?
- Should we worry or feel OK about the fact that chimps and humans act so similar in politics?
Note down follow-up questions you could ask in the discussion.
Extension
For extra listening practice listen to this interview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/26V816sKp2vFwzcX7x9WrsZ/five-things-chimps-can-teach-us-about-politics
Example Answers
Listen to the audio here:
1. How can looking at how chimps live in groups help us understand human politics better?
“I think studying chimps can shed light on our own political behavior. For example, when we see chimps form alliances to overthrow a strong leader, it reminds me of how smaller political parties team up to defeat a dominant party. Also, the way older chimps pull strings behind the scenes is just like how experienced politicians often mentor younger ones to keep their influence. By looking at these similarities, we can figure out which parts of politics might be deeply rooted in our biology rather than just being cultural. This helps us not take things at face value when politicians claim their actions are purely based on ideals.”
2. Do political groups form mainly because they have the same ideas or because they want to win?
“I believe it’s a bit of both, but winning often comes first. Looking at recent elections in my country, parties that used to be enemies suddenly joined forces to keep another party out of power. They put aside their differences to gain an advantage. However, groups that stand the test of time usually share core values. When parties only come together to win but don’t see eye to eye on important issues, they tend to fall apart once they achieve power. In the end, successful coalitions need both shared ideas and strategic thinking to stay together through thick and thin.”
3. Are our political actions mostly because of our animal nature or because of what we learn from our culture?
“I’d say our political behaviour comes from both our biology and our culture. Our desire for status and belonging seems to be built-in, just like with chimps. We naturally look up to strong leaders and want to be part of powerful groups. But culture plays a huge role in shaping how we express these instincts. For instance, in some countries, people value individual freedom above all else, while in others, the group comes first. These cultural differences can’t be explained by biology alone. So while our basic political instincts might be hardwired, culture helps us rise above our animal nature and create more complex political systems that can break the mould of simple dominance hierarchies.”
4. How do people who are not official leaders still control what happens in governments today?
“Behind every successful politician, there are advisors, wealthy donors, and media figures who call the shots without holding office. These ‘powers behind the throne’ often have the ear of elected officials and can make or break political careers. For example, campaign managers and strategists map out how politicians should speak and behave. Big business leaders and donors can twist arms by threatening to withdraw financial support. And don’t forget about influential media personalities who can turn public opinion against policies they don’t like. Sometimes the real power players are completely out of the spotlight, which makes it hard for voters to know who’s really pulling the strings in government.”
5. Should we worry or feel OK about the fact that chimps and humans act so similar in politics?
“I think we should neither panic nor brush it off. On one hand, it’s humbling to realize many of our political behaviours might stem from our evolutionary past. This can help us come to terms with why politics can be so messy and competitive. On the other hand, knowing these patterns exist gives us a chance to rise above them. Unlike chimps, we can step back and think about fairer systems. For example, when we notice leaders trying to hang onto power too long, we can create term limits. When we see coalition-building getting out of hand, we can push for more transparency. The key is to face up to our chimp-like tendencies rather than turning a blind eye to them, so we can build political systems that bring out the best in us, not the worst.”