Which amendment guarantees equal protection under the law?

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

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested here is equal protection under the law. That guarantee comes from the Fourteenth Amendment, specifically its Equal Protection Clause, which says that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. In practice, this means laws and government actions must treat people who are in similar situations alike and cannot discriminate without a valid reason. This principle became a cornerstone of the civil rights movement and has been used to challenge practices like school segregation and other forms of discriminatory treatment, as illustrated by landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education.

For context, the other amendments in the list address different protections: one expands voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; another abolishes slavery; and another limits lawsuits against states. But when it comes to guaranteeing broad, government-wide equal protection under the law, the Fourteenth Amendment is the key.