In 1999, the Federal Trade Commission allowed Exxon and Mobil to merge. At the time, Exxon and Mobil were the top two firms in their industry, and their merger created the largest corporation in the world. To allow the merger, Exxon and Mobil agreed to sell 2,431 gas stations. Of these, 1,740 were in the mid-Atlantic states, 360 were in California, 319 were in Texas, and 12 were in Guam. Why would the U. S. government require Exxon and Mobil to divest themselves of so many gas stations in localized parts of the country to be willing to allow the merger to occur?

a. Because these geographic regions had too many gas stations.
b. To protect consumers from inappropriate price decreases.
c. To ensure competition in these regions and protect consumers from unwarranted price increases.
d. To ensure that Exxon-Mobil would earn fair profits in these geographic areas.