The _____ amendment ensures state governments do not discriminate in applying their laws to different individuals or groups of people.

• A. Thirteenth
• B. Fourteenth
• C. Fifth
• D. Seventeenth

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is equal protection under the law at the state level. The Fourteenth Amendment contains an Equal Protection Clause that bars state governments from discriminating in how they apply laws to people or groups. This means similarly situated individuals must be treated alike, and laws can’t be applied in a biased or arbitrary way against a particular race, gender, or other protected characteristic without a legitimate purpose. The Fourteenth also includes a Due Process Clause, but the specific focus of preventing discriminatory application of laws points to the equal protection guarantee.

The other amendments don’t address this state-level discrimination in the same way: the Thirteenth Amendment bans slavery and involuntary servitude, the Fifth Amendment covers due process and rights at the federal level, and the Seventeenth Amendment deals with the direct election of senators.