Which amendment guarantees equal protection under the law to all citizens?

• A. The First Amendment.
• B. The Fourteenth Amendment.
• C. The Sixth Amendment.
• D. The Eighth Amendment.

Answer: (B)

Equal protection under the law is provided by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This clause bars states from denying any person within their jurisdiction the same protections and benefits of the laws, meaning people in similar situations must be treated alike. Adopted after the Civil War, it was designed to ensure civil rights across state governments and has been used to strike down laws that treated people differently without a legitimate interest. Landmark rulings, such as Brown v. Board of Education, illustrate how this clause guarantees that citizens (and others within the states’ reach) receive equal protection in practice, not just in theory. The other amendments protect specific rights—speech and religion, right to counsel, and protection against cruel punishment—not the broad, systemic guarantee of equal treatment across all situations, which is why the Fourteenth Amendment is the correct answer.