The correct answer C) European leaders felt imperialism would improve the economy.
The statement that best describes the motivation behind European imperialism is “European leaders felt imperialism would improve the economy.”
European leaders always had expansionist aspirations. They wanted to conquer and dominated more territories so they could use the other’s territories raw material, natural resources, and taxation system in order to improve the economy of their nations. The more territories they had, the more imperialist their system of government, the better the economic results and power control for them. At least, the believed it so.