Because they just went through a revolution, and the fear of having limited rights and no say was still current at the time. States wanted to know that people would be protected, and their rights would be preserved and defended. =)
One of the main ways in which the XYZ Affair helped build the country's armed forces was that it brought the United States and France close to an armed conflict, which forced the US to prepare its military and military supplies.
The correct answer in this case would be militarism (b). The reason why this is the correct answer because a nation's tendency to expand its armed forces and acquire new and better weapons is also exactly that - militarism.
Other answers here wouldn't be correct because they have different meanings. The only thing that would come close is imperialism which has some similarities but is used in different contexts.
The right to religious freedom
