Unfunded mandates were primarily the result of tension between

A) a Republican Congress that wanted to achieve conservative social objectives and Democratic presidents who wanted to increase social spending.
B) a Democratic Congress that wanted to achieve liberal social objectives and Republican presidents who opposed increased social spending.
C) a Supreme Court who wanted to limit the federal government's power and Republican presidents that wanted to expand it.
D) a Supreme Court that wanted to expand the federal government's power and a Democratic Congress that wanted to limit it.

Unfunded mandates were primarily the result of tension between a Democratic Congress that wanted to achieve liberal social objectives and Republican presidents who opposed increased social spending. Unfunded mandates were often requirements imposed by the federal government on state and local governments without providing the necessary funding to carry them out. This was a way for the federal government to achieve its policy objectives without increasing its own spending. The tension between the Democratic Congress and Republican presidents was often over the scope and cost of these mandates.