Which of the following best completes the passage

below?

“Government” does not exist as an independent entity

defining policy. Instead there exists a group of demo-

cratically elected pragmatists sensitive to the electorate,

who establish policies that will result in their own

reelection. Therefore, if public policy is hostile to, say,

environmental concerns, it is not because of govern-

mental perversity but because elected officials believe

that—

(A) environmentalists would be extremely difficult to

satisfy with any policy, however environmentally

sound

(B) environmental concerns are being accommodated

as well as public funds permit

(C) the public is overly anxious about environmental

deterioration

(D) the majority of voters vote for certain politicians

because of those politicians’ idiosyncratic posi-

tions on policy issues

(E) the majority of voters do not strongly wish for a

different policy