The correct answer is either manifest destiny or the civil war
Because of the civil war and the expenses of maintaining a navy that could blockade Confederate ports, the Navy was constantly losing power and ships and after the war ended most of the 700 initial ships were completely out of service. As manifest destiny and reconstruction began spreading, the government did not focus on rebuilding its navy and a large part of the navy that remained had to focus on things like helping merchants or doing civilian runs in order to be sustained.
Answer:
I think the answer is
D. rewarding loyal political supporters with jobs or money
Here's an example of patronage:
Patronage is customers or the financial support from customers or guests. An example of patronage is all of the customers at a deli. An example of patronage is money received by a hotel during a convention. ... Shopkeepers thanked Christmas shoppers for their patronage.