ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

American political development

Alright kiddo, let's talk about American political development! You know how we have rules and leaders to help us run this country? Well, those rules and leaders have come a long way over time, and that's what we mean when we talk about "political development."

In the beginning, a long time ago, there were people called colonists living in what is now America. They were ruled by a king who lived far away in England. But the colonists didn't like that very much, and they wanted to make their own rules and choose their own leaders. So they fought a big war, called the Revolutionary War, and they won! That's how America became its own country.

After that, people had to figure out how to run the country. They wrote a special set of rules, called the Constitution, that says how the government should work. But even then, things didn't stay the same. Over time, new ideas got added, and things like voting rights and civil rights became very important.

Sometimes, people disagree about how things should be run. That's called politics. And as the years have gone by, different groups of people have had different ideas about how the government should work and what rules should be in place. For example, some people think the government should be very small and not do too much, while others think it should help take care of people who need help.

So, American political development is all about how the rules and leaders in charge of our country have changed over time, and how different people have had different ideas about what those rules and leaders should do. It's an ongoing process, and we'll keep studying and learning more about it for years to come!