Which amendment guarantees equal protection under the law?

Which amendment guarantees equal protection under the law?

• A. 17th Amendment
• B. 14th Amendment
• C. 11th Amendment
• D. 22nd Amendment

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is equal protection under the law, which is guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Its Equal Protection Clause prevents states from denying any person within their jurisdiction the same protections of the laws, forming the constitutional basis for civil rights protections and the idea that laws must be applied equally to all people. This provision has been central to landmark rulings like Brown v. Board of Education, which used equal protection to challenge racial segregation and promote non-discriminatory treatment in society.

The other amendments have different purposes: the Seventeenth Amendment changes how U.S. senators are chosen, the Eleventh addresses state immunity from certain lawsuits in federal courts, and the Twenty-second sets term limits for the presidency.