Drone[ing] On: What Can Bees Teach Us About Democracy?
Bees Demonstrating Teamwork. Source: eLearning Industry.
Often celebrated for their honey, the true genius of bees lies in their uniquely robust social and operative structure. In their simplest forms, they live together in well-organized family groups. Bees engage in a multitude of complex tasks not practiced by solitary insects, such as, say, grasshoppers, crickets, or mosquitoes. The University of Delaware writes that “Communication, complex nest construction, environmental control, defense, and division of labor” are some of the behaviors that honey bees have developed to exist successfully in social colonies.” Such characterizations of their behavior make bees some of the most socially advanced creatures on Earth and, interestingly, offer direct parallels to another collaborative species: Homo sapiens—humans!
In many ways, humans mirror their social operation in that of bees; in fact, far too many to articulate in a single article. A particular topic of human social interaction that is of interest and offers a mass of similarities, critiques, and key insights to bees is American Democracy. The social structure of bee colonies provides grounds for a striking analogy between its ecological social structure and American Democracy. Through the species’ division of labor and complex methods for vested decision-making, bees symbolize the strength and struggle of the ways humans choose to govern in the United States, offering lessons on cooperation, resilience, and accountability.
Division of Labor
The contributions of individuals fulfilling specific, diverse roles, none of which alone sustains the whole, are a key similarity between American democracy and bee colonies. Many working roles exist in a bee colony, including worker bees (those who forage, nurse, and rebuild), drones (those who reproduce), and the queen (the key coordinator of reproduction; she cannot survive without the colony and vice versa). In his 1996 book, The Wisdom of the Hive: The Social Physiology of Honey Bee Colonies, the 2001 recipient of the Humboldt Prize in Biology, Thomas Seeley discusses this parallel, which may be expanded on within the lens of American politics. Seeley writes that bee colonies function as a “superorganism,” emphasizing complex communication and resource-gathering strategies. American Democracy works such that states operate independently, but together, in times of trial and tribulation, it is still a beautiful display of fulfilling a diverse set of roles and coming together over differing and shared beliefs. Scholars contend that while citizens uphold separate beliefs, “find[ing] common goals when seeking to unite groups that have a moral conflict [is key].”
Collective Decision-Making
Similar to how American citizens flock to the polls to decide who will lead their communities and what policies he or she will pursue, bees also engage in democratic processes. When a hive becomes too overcrowded, the scout bees of the hive leave in pursuit of a new nesting site. Each scout returns to the hive and communicates her findings through something called a “waggle dance,” which is a rhythmic movement that conveys quality, direction, and distance of a location. As the scouts come together over this consensus, they do not obey a single bee or follow suit based on random chance; they come to a consensus based on testing and signaling. This displays a striking similarity to the way in which American Democracy operates. Advocates for vested delegation, such as that which exists in the United States, may turn to the Pluralist Theory to support arguments. As such, political science scholars advocate for compelling policies, and their legitimacy is born from agreement rather than commands. In its best form, American Democracy ensures that all voices are heard through engaging in open dialogue, evidence-based persuasion, and compromise. At its worst, however, humans and bees display risk if factions refuse to adapt and remain flexible. Just as politics is made possible by vested collaboration, hives cannot function without the thoughtful operation and management of each colony’s role; every moving part plays a critical role in the hive’s ultimate success. The component that brings together leadership at the hive and human level is diplomacy; that is, dealing with people in a manner that is sensitive, effective, and sustainable.
Tiny models of cooperation, diverse roles displayed, and consensus-driven governance, bees’ survival depends on balancing individual labor with collective responsibility. These are lessons Americans might take into account when political polarization threatens progress. A hierarchy does not determine the health of hives and democracies alike, but by the shared commitment each ecosystem has to its members sustaining the whole. Looking to the hive, Americans may find both inspiration and warning. Only when its citizens work tirelessly to communicate honestly and prioritize the common good above personal gain can democracy thrive. Bee hives are much more than simple ecological marvels; they mirror the reflection of fragility and promise held in human governance. If Americans can learn from bees, by efficiently making decisions collectively, and properly dividing tasks amongst citizens to avoid unhealthy concentrations of power, democracy itself may benefit from the same resilience and harmony that sustains every bee colony.