Final answer:
The bolded word group 'the oldest military academy in the United States and one of the most prestigious' is a phrase because it lacks a subject and verb and does not express a complete thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bolded word group in the sentence 'West Point, the oldest military academy in the United States and one of the most prestigious, has produced many distinguished graduates, including Jefferson Davis and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin.' is a phrase.
A phrase is a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, usually without a subject or verb. In contrast, a clause contains both a subject and a predicate. The bolded group of words does not contain a subject and verb; therefore, it does not express a complete thought and is not a clause.
The bolded word group in the sentence is a phrase. A phrase is a group of words that functions as a single unit within a sentence, but does not contain both a subject and a verb. In this case, the bolded word group provides additional information about West Point, but does not have a subject or a verb. Therefore, it is a phrase.