How does the 14th Amendment promote equal protection of the laws?

Asked by: Dagmar Hilpert  |  Last update: August 7, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (45 votes)

The Fourteenth Amendment promises that all persons in the United States shall enjoy the “equal protection of the laws.” This means that they cannot be discriminated against without good reason. All laws discriminate, because governments must make choices about what is lawful.

How does the 14th Amendment provide equal protection?

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What is the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause example?

In other words, the laws of a state must treat an individual in the same manner as other people in similar conditions and circumstances. A violation would occur, for example, if a state prohibited an individual from entering into an employment contract because he or she was a member of a particular race.

What is the 14th Amendment equal protection quizlet?

Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits any state from passing a law that denies to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

What does it mean to have equal protection of the laws?

equal protection of the law. n. the right of all persons to have the same access to the law and courts and to be treated equally by the law and courts, both in procedures and in the substance of the law.

The Fourteenth Amendment and equal protection | US government and civics | Khan Academy

19 related questions found

What is the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment gender?

Does the Fourteenth Amendment prohibit gender discrimination? Yes and no. Though it technically does not make gender discrimination illegal, the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees people of all genders equal treatment and due process under the law.

What are the 4 main points of the 14th Amendment?

14th Amendment - Citizenship Rights, Equal Protection, Apportionment, Civil War Debt | Constitution Center.

What are the 3 main clauses of the 14th Amendment?

The amendment's first section includes several clauses: the Citizenship Clause, Privileges or Immunities Clause, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause.

What is the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause strict scrutiny?

To pass the strict scrutiny test, a law must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest. The same test applies whether the racial classification aims to benefit or harm a racial group. Strict scrutiny also applies whether or not race is the only criteria used to classify.

How does the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment play a role in the decision of Shaw v Reno?

Shaw's group claimed that drawing districts based on race violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 lead to the rise of the Shaw v. Reno court case which allowed for more representation of the Black (minority) representation in the state of North Carolina.

How does the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment play a role in the decision of Baker v Carr?

Baker v. Carr (1962) is the U.S. Supreme Court case that held that federal courts could hear cases alleging that a state's drawing of electoral boundaries, i.e. redistricting, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

What does the 14th Amendment prohibit unfair actions from?

Among them was the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits the states from depriving “any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” When it was adopted, the Clause was understood to mean that the government could deprive a person of rights only according to law applied by a court.

What did the US Supreme Court rule about the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment in Yick Wo v Hopkins?

In a unanimous opinion authored by Justice T. Stanley Matthews, the Court concluded that, despite the impartial wording of the law, its biased enforcement violated the Equal Protection Clause.

Does the 14th Amendment give the right to travel?

The right to travel is a far-reaching and essential privilege and immunity of citizenship in a broad federal union. It is guaranteed explicitly in Article IV of the Articles of Confederation and thus implicitly in Article IV of the United States Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment.

What is the protected class equal protection?

Under Equal Protection, when a statute discriminates against an individual based on a suspect classification, that statute will be subject to either strict scrutiny or intermediate scrutiny. There are four generally agreed-upon suspect classifications: race, religion, national origin, and alienage.

Which clause of the 14th Amendment is the most important?

A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.

What are three effects of the 14th Amendment?

The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868. The amendment granted citizenship to those born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed freedom, due process, and equal protection under the law to all Americans.

What were the two major reasons for the passage of the 14th Amendment?

a. To overturn Dred Scott and guarantee citizenship rights and equality for African Americans. b. To provide a remedy for the “Black Codes” which the South was using to keep ex- slaves from having any civil rights which meant they were being treated much like before when they were slaves.

What is the 14th Amendment for dummies?

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to anyone born in the United States or who became a citizen of the country. This included African Americans and slaves who had been freed after the American Civil War.

What is the 14th Amendment section simplified?

The Fourteenth Amendment forbids the states from depriving any person of “life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” and from denying anyone equal protection under the law.

What idea is 4 the 14th Amendment says that the government must treat all people the same way?

The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause requires states to practice equal protection. Equal protection forces a state to govern impartially—not draw distinctions between individuals solely on differences that are irrelevant to a legitimate governmental objective.

What is the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment for kids?

The amendment also guarantees "equal protection of the laws." This is an important clause within the amendment. It was put there to make sure that every person (regardless of age, race, religion, etc.) would be treated the same by the government.

How do you use equal protection in a sentence?

No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws. In her practice, she fought for issues such as equal protection under the law, equal access to housing, and the right to join labor unions.

Does the equal protection clause require the government to treat all people the same regardless of whether they are similarly situated?

The equal protection clause is defined as the idea that any government body cannot deny any group of people or an individual the same protection regarding governing laws. These government bodies need to treat all people similarly to everyone else under the same conditions and circumstances.

How did the US Supreme Court interpret the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment in Plessy v Ferguson?

7–1 decision for Ferguson

Justice Brown conceded that the 14th Amendment intended to establish absolute equality for the races before the law, but held that separate treatment did not imply the inferiority of African Americans. In short, segregation did not in itself constitute unlawful discrimination.