Question

read the text below.
equal rights amendment (era), 1923
section 1. equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account of s
section 2. the congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
section 3. this amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
which statement best describes how this information helps the reader understand the excerpt?
a it reveals how the era compares to other amendments in the united states.

b it provides examples of the different types of amendments that congress wants to pass.

c it demonstrates the specific ideas of the amendment being discussed in the speech

d it proves that the era is stricter than its supporters believe.

the equal rights amendment (era) was written in 1923 by alice paul, suffragist leader and founder of the national womans party (nwp). the era was introduced into every session of congress between 1923 and 1972, when it was finally passed and sent to the states for ratification. in the next ten years, the era was ratified by thirty - five states, leaving it three states short of the thirty - eight required for it to become a law. the following is a transcript of hearings that took place in the united states senate in 1983. senator dennis deconcini, a senator from arizona, is speaking.
equal rights amendment (era), 1923
section 1. equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account.
section 2. the congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
section 3. this amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
1 senator deconcini: mr. chairman, the equal rights amendment is our nation’s most important piece of unfinished business. it is a 24 - word text that is straightforward. it sets out a basic principle that equal treatment under the law shall not be abridged on account of sex. i have supported the era prior to coming to the senate and during my senate term, and i remain committed to seeing that this is passed.
2 the proposed equal rights amendment to the u.s. constitution was first introduced in 1923, although it was not passed until 1972. as has been pointed out by the chairman, a 7 - year time limit was placed on it. in 1978, the proposed amendment had been approved by 35 states. unfortunately, no additional states had voted for ratification before the new deadline and the proposed amendment died on june 30, 1982.
3 it is not really dead. on july 14, 1982, the amendment was reintroduced in congress, using the form devised in 1972. the amendment was referred to the house and senate judiciary committees, but no further action was taken.
4 this year, the era was reintroduced in the senate on january 26 as senate joint resolution 10, with 56 cosponsors. it was reintroduced in the house on january 3 as house joint resolution 1, with 239 cosponsors.
5 a constitutional amendment which guarantees equal rights under the law to all persons regardless of sex is long

Explanation:

To determine the best answer, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The excerpt doesn't compare the ERA to other amendments, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The excerpt focuses on the ERA, not different types of amendments Congress wants to pass, so B is incorrect.
• Option C: The text (including the sections of the ERA and the discussion of its reintroduction) presents the key ideas of the ERA (equality regardless of sex, enforcement, and ratification timeline), so this option accurately describes how the information helps readers understand the amendment's ideas.
• Option D: The excerpt doesn't discuss the strictness of the ERA relative to supporters' beliefs, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. It demonstrates the specific ideas of the amendment being discussed in the speech