Editing Politics of the United States (section)

====Colonial origins====
{{Main|Colonial history of the United States|Thirteen Colonies}}

The American political culture is rooted in the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial experience]] and the [[American Revolution]]. The colonies were unique within the European world for their  [[Voting rights in the United States|(relatively) widespread suffrage]]  which was granted to white male   [[Property qualification|property owners]], and the relative power and activity of the elected bodies which they could vote for.<ref>Patricia U. Bonomi, ''A Factious People: Politics and Society in Colonial New York'' (Columbia U.P., 1971) pp 281-2</ref> These dealt with land grants, commercial subsidies,  taxation,  the oversight of roads, poor relief, taverns, and schools.  Courts, (private lawsuits were very common) also provided Americans with experience in public affairs and law,<ref>Anton-Hermann, ''The Rise of the legal profession in America'' (2 vol 1965), vol 1.</ref> and gave interest groups such as
merchants, landlords, petty farmers, artisans, [[Anglicanism|Anglicans]], [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterians]], [[Quakers]], Germans, [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch Irish]], Yankees, Yorkers, etc. control over matters left to  the royal court, aristocratic families and the established church in Great Britain.  Finally,  Americans were interested in the political values of [[Republicanism in the United States|Republicanism]], which celebrated equal rights, civic virtue, and abhorred  corruption, luxury, and aristocracy.<ref>Bonomi, ''A Factious People'', pp. 281-286</ref>