Answer: C. Irrelevant evidence
Explanation:
Answer: the LEAST effective replacement for the phrase "used great power": D) squandered great power
Explanation:
The phrase "used great power" <u>means that the Sacramento region </u><u>had great power/ great influence </u><u>in the decade of the 1850s.</u>
So <em>"applied great power", "exerted great power" and "employed great power" </em><u><em>could be considered synonyms of this phrase. </em></u>
The phrase "squandered great power" would be wrong to use in this context, because "to squander" means to "waste" and Sacramento wasn't wasting its power - quite the contrary, as it's said in the text Sacramento had a powerful voice -> "<em>Sacramento's influence was in large part due to its growth in commerce</em>, particularly that portion related to transportation".
