Which amendment addresses due process and equal protection for all citizens?

• A. First Amendment
• B. Fifth Amendment
• C. Fourteenth Amendment
• D. Eighth Amendment

Answer: (C)

The main idea is understanding how due process and equal protection are guaranteed to all people, not just by the federal government but also by state governments. The Fourteenth Amendment does this by including a Due Process Clause and an Equal Protection Clause that apply to state actions. This means states must treat people fairly and cannot deny life, liberty, or property without fair procedures, and they must treat similarly situated individuals alike. That combination—due process plus equal protection applied to every citizen at the state level—is what makes this amendment the right answer. The First Amendment protects freedoms like speech and religion, the Fifth Amendment covers due process at the federal level and other rights, and the Eighth Amendment limits cruel punishment and excessive fines or bail. But when the goal is due process and equal protection for all citizens, the Fourteenth Amendment is the one that directly provides that broad, state-level guarantee.