Final answer:
The parallel between democracies of ancient Athens and colonial America is that both allowed only men to participate in political life, making option C the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The democracies of ancient Athens and colonial America both featured limited participation in political life but had distinct systems of governance. Athens practiced a form of direct democracy, wherein eligible male citizens voted directly on legislation and executive bills, with citizenship being a restricted concept. In contrast, colonial America, influenced by ideas from ancient Greece and others, moved towards a representative democracy, known as a republic, where citizens elect representatives to enact legislation on their behalf, forming a government with a system of checks and balances to prevent tyranny or anarchy.
Looking at the options provided, the most accurate parallel is C, as both allowed only men to participate in political life. Hereditary rulers (A) and a direct form of democracy (D) were not characteristic of colonial America, while a system of checks and balances (B) was not part of ancient Athens' system.