Which amendment safeguards against deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process at the state level?

• A. 5th Amendment
• B. 1st Amendment
• C. 14th Amendment
• D. 8th Amendment

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that state governments must follow fair procedures before taking a person’s life, liberty, or property. The Fourteenth Amendment does this through its due process clause, which prohibits states from depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property without due process.

This clause effectively applies protections that were originally in the Bill of Rights to the states, ensuring that state actions meet fundamental standards of fairness. While the Fifth Amendment also has a due process clause, it limits the federal government, not the states. The other amendments focus on specific rights (like free speech or protection from cruel and unusual punishment) rather than guaranteeing a general procedural safeguard against state action.