Final answer:
The policy of leaving the colonists to govern themselves was called Salutary Neglect. It allowed the colonies in America to have self-rule and govern through their own legislative bodies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The policy of leaving the colonists to govern themselves was called Salutary Neglect. This policy, which lasted throughout much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, allowed the British colonies in America to enjoy a tradition of self-rule and govern through their own legislative bodies. It was based on the belief that the colonies would flourish if left alone, and it ended with the conclusion of the French and Indian War.