The ten commandments have influenced later political and legal ideas mostly due to religious beliefs held by later societies. These societies chose to interpret the ten commandments as a strong foundation for law, as it was reputed to be rules granted by the wisdom of God. The political impact had less to do with drawing upon the commandments specifically, but they did play into the image of a proper christian. This made paying them at the very least lip service important for politicians and elected officials seeking to have any success in the political arena.
