Compare and contrast the characteristics of government in Florence and Venice.

Candidates are required to give an account of the similarities and differences between the characteristics of government in Florence and Venice during the period from c1400 to 1600. In doing so, they may consider factors including leadership, stability and personnel. Other areas to consider may include the relative power of individuals or families such as the Medici in Florence and how those families gained political influence. In Florence, wealth equated with political power but in Venice wealth did not always mean access to power. In broader terms both states were republics but not democratic and both used repression to try and maintain stability. Candidates may also consider the relative complexity of the government structure in both states.