The most accurate response regarding the characteristics of Italian economic and political development in the late Middle Ages that helped lead to the Italian Renaissance is: The city-states were centers of trade that competed in cultural development.
This is because the prosperous city-states like Florence, Venice, and Milan became wealthy through trade and commerce. This wealth led to the patronage of the arts and humanism, fostering an environment that encouraged cultural, artistic, and intellectual achievements, which are hallmarks of the Renaissance.