The correct answer is A) He lowered federal tariffs but affirmed his power to use the military to collect them.
The states rights issue referred to in the question dealt with the Tariff of "Abominations." This name of the tariff, given to by Southern politicians, showed their distain for this tax on foreign goods. This is due to the fact that many Southerners made significant profits through trading with other countries.
Some Southerners went as far as to nullify this tariff. Nullification is a process in which a state ignores a federal law or ruling because they believe it is unconstitutional. This resulted in controversy between Northerners, Southerners, and the president (Andrew Jackson). Ultimately the tariff was lowered but Jackson reinforced the idea that the federal government still has control over the states, especially when it comes to following federal laws.
