Choose the most appropriate meaning/phrasal verb/word/verb for the sentence.

The government keeps kicking the can down the road.

"Kicking the can down the road" is an idiom. Picture a can lying on the road — instead of picking it up and throwing it in the trash (solving the problem), you just kick it further ahead. The can doesn't disappear; you'll have to deal with it later.

So this idiom means to delay or postpone dealing with a difficult problem instead of facing it now.

Option 2: Avoiding hard decisions by delaying them — This matches perfectly. ✅

Let's confirm by checking the other options:

• Option 1: Solving issues quickly — This is the opposite. The idiom is about not solving problems. ✗
• Option 3: Making a strong decision — Kicking the can shows weakness, not strength, because you're avoiding the problem. ✗
• Option 4: Taking the easy route — While delaying might seem easy, this phrase specifically focuses on postponing a problem, not just choosing something simple. "Taking the easy route" is a different idea. For example, taking the easy route on a test might mean guessing, but kicking the can down the road means you don't even attempt the test and push it to tomorrow. ✗

Hence, Option 2: Avoiding hard decisions by delaying them is the correct answer.