Most of the laws enacted over the past two centuries were in response to major events, civil unrest, or economic recessions and depressions. This resulted in a _____ system.

• A. Centralized
• B. Unified
• C. Fragmented
• D. Integrated

Answer: (C)

Laws that are created in response to big events, civil unrest, or economic downturns tend to be targeted and sector-specific. Over the past centuries, these ad hoc measures accumulate from different times, by different parts of government, and for different issues. Each new rule adds its own quirks, definitions, and procedures, often without a single coordinating authority to harmonize them. The result is a mosaic of rules that can overlap, conflict, or leave gaps, rather than one seamless, uniform framework. That spread-out, uneven character is what we mean by a fragmented system. The alternatives imply a single, tightly coordinated approach, which history hasn’t produced in this context.