Who held the most power in the italian city-states?
a. the wealthiest people
b. the monarchy
c. the popolo
d. the religious leaders

The answer is A, or "The wealthiest people ."

states

explanation:

as the old saying goes, all politics are local. state and federal governments affect our daily lives in numerous ways. yet, in our federal system, there is supposed to be a balance between federal and state power. as james madison envisioned it in federalist no. 51, “the power surrendered by the people” would be “divided between two distinct governments,” creating a balance of power that would enable the “different governments [to] control each other.”