What is the difference between the parliament of Paris and the French Estates-General? How did the Estates-General come into existence?

The French Estates-General and the Paris Parliament are two separate political bodies in France with vastly different objectives, functions, and powers. The Estates-General is the oldest of the two bodies and was initially convened in 1302. The Paris Parliament is a newer body created during the late 1600s. Despite their different origins, each body requires approval from the King to make any significant changes to French law or policy (Norton & Johnson, 2020).

The primary difference between these two entities lies in their purpose and power. The Estates-General was formed out of necessity by Philip IV in response to his financial woes caused by his extravagant spending habits (Coombs et al., 2017). This assembly consisted of representatives from all three social classes – clergy, nobility, and commoners – who voted on matters of taxation for Philip’s projects such as military defense or public works. While this group had some authority over taxes levied upon its members, it did not have any real legislative power due to its lack of representation from all regions within France (Norton & Johnson 2020).

In contrast to this limited role that the Estates-General played in French politics during its early years, the Paris Parliament has acted as a much more powerful government institution since its formation during Louis XIV’s reign (Gillispie et al., 2019). This new entity held far greater authority than its predecessor; it retained considerable influence even after Louis XVI summoned the States General into being again many years later. Instead of voting solely on taxation or royal decrees as before, this parliament had full control over creating laws pertaining to civil matters such as commerce regulation which could be enforced across France without further approval from royalty (Ozouf et al., 2015).

In addition to their differences in power dynamics between them, there is also an important distinction when considering how they were formed historically. The Estates-General originated as part of a feudal system where each estate elected representatives based on internal rules set forth by local leaders while also adhering closely to traditional customs established centuries ago (McMullin 2015). In stark contrast ,the creation of Louis XIV’s parliament came about through a top down approach championed by him; he personally appointed those he deemed most fit for positions within it regardless if these individuals had been chosen beforehand by other sources like church or noble families (Rabouin 2019).

To summarize then: while both parliamentary systems have distinct histories that can be traced back hundreds of years ago; there remain several key distinctions between them today including their respective roles within governmental affairs along with how they were initially founded . This helps explain why one continues serve predominantly advisory status delivering verdicts only after careful deliberation among various estates while other stands above all others making final decisions quickly and efficiently whenever necessary .