Answer:
c. the equal protection of the laws
Step-by-step explanation:
Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment establishes the requirements to be a U.S. citizen and some of their civil rights including "the equal protection of the laws." While the 5th Amendment requires the U.S. government to practice equal protection, the 14th Amendment requires states to practice it. The Equal Protection Clause guarantees the same rights, privileges, and protections to all citizens and therefore, it prevents states governments from having a preference to apply or not to apply laws to some individuals and not to others