Isn't it interesting that "the Mayflower Compact was signed to establish a civil government based upon a majoritarian mode" rather than simply adopt the autocratic rule of their existing majority religion infrastructure and decision making hierarchy? (above quote credited to WikiPedia). The latter solution would have much more directly implemented the 'shared values' of the majority, and more definitely assured preservation of control thereof, but even this highly religious group of founders for some reason preferred a 'civil' secular government that could be trusted to provide an ethical, fair long-term framework based on principles of law, and not to become another Church of England.