"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…" --Declaration of Independence, 1776 According to the excerpt above, the Declaration of Independence influenced the development of American democracy by:

deriving its powers from those it governs.

Explanation:

The Social Contract theory is a form of socio-political theory that describes that individuals or group of people should hold the power to select their own form of governments, and if the government defies the will of the people the people should out rightly remove and replace them.

In other words, the Declaration of Independence influenced the development of American democracy by deriving its powers from those it governs.

i see, would you mind putting it as one?