Question

14th Amendment

(The Fourteenth Amendment is important for both civil rights and civil liberties. The due process clause specifically lays the legal framework that requires federal government intervention to prevent discrimination.)

Answer 1

The Fourteenth Amendment is essential for protecting civil rights and liberties, extending citizenship, ensuring due process and equal protection of the laws, and applying the Bill of Rights to state governments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Fourteenth Amendment is a pivotal part of the U.S. Constitution that was ratified in 1868 to protect civil rights and liberties. This amendment extended citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the United States and included a due process clause. The due process clause is significant because it not only requires procedural fairness, but it also binds states to extend the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights to all citizens.

Furthermore, the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment mandates that no state deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, thereby underpinning the fight against discrimination and reinforcing the principles of equality before the law.

One profound example of the Fourteenth Amendment's impact is its role in dismantling racial discrimination and outlining what constitutes fair treatment by the government. It has empowered the Supreme Court to apply fundamental liberties and declare actions unconstitutional that violate these principles, such as in Sherbert v. Verner (1963).