Read these passages. Each source is related to the 1858 debates between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln as they campaigned for a seat in the United States Senate.

when studying cause and effect, historians usually group the causes into different categories. for example, cultural causes reflect how a society’s literature and art convey the way the society saw itself in relation to the rest of the world. another resource that historians use to understand society is pop culture, which tells them the trends and ideas that are preferred by the common people. when studying cause and effect, it’s important to remember multiple causation, or the idea that an effect could have several causes and vice versa.  

the correct option is “cultural causes” since art and literature are related to the culture of a place. culture is determined by literature, art, music.

the correct option is “pop culture” since it reflects the likes and ideas of common people whereas the rest of the options do not focus on common people.  

the correct option is “multiple causation” since it refers to the idea that events are caused by multiple reasons, not just a single one.  

“i think it is very plausible that if there are five votes to end the death penalty, it could be with the people who are on the court right now,” - smith

so basically it is not clearly and consistently imposed