US Due Process and Equal Protection 3

Question 1

What does the 'incorporation doctrine' accomplish in constitutional law?

Accepted Answer

It applies most Bill of Rights protections to state governments through the 14th Amendment

Answer

The incorporation doctrine uses the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause to apply most protections in the Bill of Rights against state government action, not just federal action.

Question 2

Which Supreme Court case held that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under the 14th Amendment?

Accepted Answer

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Answer

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment.

Question 3

Which Reconstruction-era amendment was ratified specifically to abolish slavery throughout the United States?

Accepted Answer

13th Amendment

Answer

The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as punishment for a crime.

Question 4

What does 'selective incorporation' mean in constitutional law?

Accepted Answer

Only certain Bill of Rights provisions are applied to states through the 14th Amendment, as cases arise

Answer

Selective incorporation means the Supreme Court applies Bill of Rights protections to states one provision at a time as cases arise, rather than incorporating all of them at once.

Question 5

Which best describes what 'equal protection' under the 14th Amendment requires of government?

Accepted Answer

The government cannot arbitrarily discriminate against similarly situated persons without sufficient justification

Answer

Equal protection prohibits government from arbitrarily discriminating against similarly situated people; it does not demand identical treatment but requires sufficient justification for distinctions.

US Constitution Exam Practice Test

US Constitution Exam Practice Test

US Due Process and Equal Protection 3