Which amendment is associated with preventing states from grossly unreasonable discrimination?

Which amendment is associated with preventing states from grossly unreasonable discrimination?

• A. The Thirteenth Amendment
• B. The Fourteenth Amendment
• C. The Fifteenth Amendment
• D. The First Amendment

Answer: (B)

The key idea is equal protection under state action. The Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause says no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. That means state laws and policies can’t discriminate in ways that are arbitrary or unjustified, and it has been used to strike down laws that treat people unequally. The other amendments address different protections—slavery and involuntary servitude (Thirteenth), voting rights based on race (Fifteenth), or freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly (First)—but they don’t establish the broad state-level equal-protection guarantee.

The key idea is equal protection under state action. The Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause says no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. That means state laws and policies can’t discriminate in ways that are arbitrary or unjustified, and it has been used to strike down laws that treat people unequally. The other amendments address different protections—slavery and involuntary servitude (Thirteenth), voting rights based on race (Fifteenth), or freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly (First)—but they don’t establish the broad state-level equal-protection guarantee.