Final answer:
Thirteenth-century rulers employed parliaments and representatives to manage administrative functions and tax collection, which evolved into stronger representative bodies, particularly in England during the Hundred Years' War. Contrastingly, France maintained strong monarchical control, eschewing a national assembly. In the American colonies, representative assemblies held significant power due to inclusive voting rights and logistical challenges of imperial control.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thirteenth century rulers made use of parliaments and representatives of the people to manage the growing administrative demands of their kingdoms and to facilitate the collection of taxes. The creation of these representative bodies was driven by developments leading toward centralized governments with limited powers. One notable evolution was the replacement of the king's Great Council with Parliament, which was designed to represent the interests of nobles, clergy, and commoners, including merchants from selected towns starting in 1265.
During the Hundred Years' War, for instance, English kings like Edward III were compelled to convene Parliament more frequently to raise funds for the war effort, thereby strengthening Parliament's role. The political demands of war, combined with internal crises like the Black Death, drove England towards a more representative government model. Following the conflict, the structures of the House of Lords and the House of Commons became more pronounced, and the English began to view representative government as the superior political system.
Contrastingly, in France, the notion of a national assembly was largely rejected by monarchs who found it distasteful, leading to the maintenance of regional assemblies and a strong monarchy. However, in the American colonies, more inclusive voting rights due to wider land ownership, and the logistical difficulty of maintaining control over long distances, fostered local representative assemblies that held significant legislative and budgetary control.