Final answer:
The Mayflower Compact is considered an important step in the development of American democracy because it established self-government, outlined representative democracy, and demonstrated the idea of a social contract.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mayflower Compact is considered an important step in the development of American democracy for several reasons. First, it established the idea of self-government in the New World, as the Pilgrims agreed to govern themselves according to the laws created by male voters in the colony.
Second, the Compact emphasized the principles of representative democracy, as it recognized the importance of building governments that reflected the will of the people.
Lastly, the Mayflower Compact demonstrated the idea of a social contract and the idea of a common purpose, as the Pilgrims bound themselves together to create a government in an area where they had no charter or title to the land.