Question

To reduce traffic, a market town enacts an ordinance that allows only a few specific street vendors to operate in certain areas. A court would likely review this ordinance under the principles of ________?

1) Equal Protection Clause
2) Due Process Clause
3) Commerce Clause
4) Supremacy Clause

Answer 1

A court would likely review the ordinance allowing only specific street vendors under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which ensures no state denies any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Step-by-step explanation:

Regarding the ordinance in a market town that allows only a few specific street vendors to operate in certain areas, a court would likely review this ordinance under the principles of the Equal Protection Clause. This clause, which is part of the Fourteenth Amendment, mandates that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. It is a crucial instrument for the Supreme Court in examining state regulations and is at the heart of civil rights.

Challenges could arise if the ordinance appears to discriminate unfairly against a certain group or if it does not apply equally to all individuals in similar situations. If street vendors believe that the ordinance is applied arbitrarily or capriciously that violates their rights to equal treatment under the law, they could challenge it under the Equal Protection Clause.