Final answer:
Spending on presidential elections from 2000 to 2016 has risen sharply, in line with general upward trends in federal and state/local government spending and taxes, as well as a gradual increase in life expectancy rates in the U.S.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that describes spending on presidential elections from 2000 to 2016 is that it has risen sharply. This is reflective of the broader trend in which both spending and taxes of the U.S. federal government tend to have had a trend that is upward in the last few decades. Similar to the federal level, state and local governments in the United States have seen a generally upward trend in spending and taxes over the same period. Comparatively, life expectancy rates in the United States have continued to gradually rise, further emphasizing that various metrics of national growth and change tend to trend upwards over time.