What was social darwinism? question 1 options: a. an idea advocated by the rich to explain the big gap between rich and poor. the phrase “survival of the fittest” was coined to explain why rich were rich and poor were poor. b. a term used to characterize reform-minded american journalists who attacked established institutions and leaders as corrupt. c. a movement to increase the political power of farmers and other groups who felt like they had little political influence. d. people who thought that societies problems could be solved through government reforms and the application of scientific knowledge