Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence introduces key democratic principles such as equality, unalienable rights, and popular sovereignty. These principles are critical as they emphasize individual rights and the concept that government power is derived from the people, influencing numerous democratic systems globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major principles established by the Declaration of Independence are foundational to the democratic principles that underpin the modern United States government and many other democracies today. These principles include the idea that all men are created equal, with certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Additionally, the Declaration of Independence asserts that governments are instituted among men to secure these rights, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. When a government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new Government.
These principles are significant because they establish the concept of popular sovereignty, which is the idea that the source of governmental power lies with the people, rather than being bestowed by divine right or hereditary succession. The emphasis on individual rights and the right to revolution were radical ideas at the time and continue to influence the formation and reform of democratic governments around the world. The Declaration's assertion of these principles serves as a catalyst for democratic movements, a benchmark for justified governance, and a symbol of the inherent dignity and rights of individuals in a free society.