Which principle did the Mayflower Compact establish in colonial governance?

• A. Federalism
• B. Judicial review
• C. Self-government based on consent of governed
• D. Absolute monarchy

Answer: (C)

Self-government based on consent of the governed is what the Mayflower Compact illustrates. When the Pilgrims signed this agreement in 1620, they committed to establishing a civil body politic and making laws for the colony with the consent of the people who would be governed. It reflects a social contract idea: authority comes from those who are governed, and laws are created by and for the community rather than imposed from above by a distant ruler. This set a precedent for how early colonies thought about legitimate authority—governance arises from the people’s consent and operates through agreed-upon rules.

This isn’t about federalism, which is the division of power between central and regional governments; it isn’t about judicial review, the idea that courts can strike down laws; and it isn’t about absolute monarchy, where a single ruler holds unchecked power. The key takeaway is that the compact embodies self-government based on consent, a foundational concept guiding later colonial and American notions of legitimate government.