Which amendment contains the Equal Protection Clause, prohibiting states from denying any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws?

• A. 5th Amendment
• B. 1st Amendment
• C. 14th Amendment
• D. 13th Amendment

Answer: (C)

The equal protection guarantee is found in the Fourteenth Amendment. It says that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. This provision was designed to prevent states from treating people differently without a legitimate reason and has been used to strike down discriminatory state laws and practices. The other amendments address different rights: the First Amendment protects freedoms like speech and religion; the Thirteenth abolishes slavery; the Fifth Amendment covers due process and other rights at the federal level. So, for ensuring people in a state are treated equally under the law, the Fourteenth Amendment is the source of that protection.