Congress's Decision to Provide Generous Pensions to Former Union Soldiers

Congress's decision to provide generous pensions to former Union soldiers and their widows is an example of __________.

A) the benefits associated with revenues from new income-tax measures enacted in the 1880s and 1890s
B) the government assuming responsibility to provide a safety net for the disadvantaged in society
C) an interest group using emotions associated with the Civil War for the financial gain of its members
D) an attempt by the southern Democrats who sponsored the legislation to heal the wounds of the Civil War