Final answer:
The Mayflower Compact exemplifies the social contract theory, where individuals agree to form a government for their mutual protection and to obey the laws it enacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mayflower Compact (1620) BEST represents the concept of social contract theory. This theory is the idea that individuals consent, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the ruler, or to the decision of a majority, in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights. The Mayflower Compact was an agreement reached by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower to form a self-governance structure. It was created out of necessity, as they found themselves outside the territory of the Virginia Company charter, and thus without a governing structure. The Compact established a civil body politic to enact laws and offices, and to provide for the general good of the colony.