Those who opposed the provisions of the sherman antitrust act believed that success in business depended on-
a) the survival of strong companies over weak ones.
b) government regulation and oversight.
c) large business owners working together.
d) rate controls and price fixing.

Correct  C) large business owners working together.

Context/history:  

The Sherman Anti-Trust Act  was the first measure by Congress to prohibit trusts. It was passed by Congress in 1890.  A trust was when  stockholders in multiple  companies transferred their stock shares to a single group of trustees. Thus a whole industry area could be dominated by a single "trust" organization, destroying the free market of business competition. This was a monopolistic practice which the Sherman Anti-Trust Act ended.  Thus the Sherman Anti-Trust Act directly went against the idea of those who believed business success should be based on large business owners colluding with one another.

affirmative action refers to the policies that take gender, race, or ethnicity into account in order to promote equal opportunity.

employers subject to title vii are prohibited from taking race or sex into account in any employment decisions. aa is a penalty for having any job group substantially statistically "underutilized" in any race or either sex. the employer must take steps to eliminate the underutilization, then stop, ending its aa efforts

c.) the country needed a stronger central government.