Answer:
C) The government wants to attract the brightest researchers away from private research firms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The greatest factor that fosters sustained long term economic growth is an increase in productivity. Productivity generally increases by increasing labor factor, e.g. more and better education and training, more capital invested, e.g. more factories, equipment, etc., and technological innovation. Technological innovation has fostered American growth during the last decades and it is only possible through research. Technological innovation doesn't only include computers, software and the internet, they also advances in medicine, crop science, and others.
Sometimes innovations come from private companies, e.g. computers, but other times innovation comes from government entities, e.g. internet. The US military and the NASA have contributed with thousands of different innovations and inventions that helped the country and made it grow economically.