D & B

Hi @Christy, Thanks for the question! First, let’s recall what the author thinks the true motivation for the passage of the Dawes Act is. We can see this in lines 42-51, where the author make the argument that the BIA bureaucrats benefit because they want to have larger staffs and budgets, and the Dawes Act would help them accomplish that goal. Now, having this in mind, we need something that strengthens this argument, or makes it seem more likely that the BIA had something to do with it. This is what (D) tells us. (D) directly links the passage of the legislation and BIA bureaucrat influence, and so strengthens the author’s arguments. (B), on the other hand, is incorrect because it doesn’t mention the BIA or politicians/governmental bureaucracy and their interests. Thus, it can’t strengthen the author’s argument about the true motivation for the passage of the Dawes Act. Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any further questions you might have.