Question

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution forbids the states to deny any citizen the rights granted by federal law. It also defines how citizenship is acquired and declares that all citizens are entitled to equal protection of the law. The original purpose of the amendment was to provide citizenship for former slaves and give them full civil rights.
Through the years however the Supreme Court has interpreted the 14th Amendment in different ways. The court has applied the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to a number of cases. For example, in 1905 the court used it in Lochner v. New York to strike down state laws regulating working hours. In 1973, in Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that states may not prohibit a woman, under certain conditions from having an abortion.

With which of the following statements would the author of Source D most likely agree?


A) Connecticut and Massachusetts were not included in the incorporation of the Bill of Rights.

B) The 14th Amendment caused the government to reinterpret the purpose of the Bill of Rights.

C) Before the Civil War, state powers were heavily regulated by the federal government.

D) The 14th Amendment is no longer applicable in modern-day society.

Answer 1

A) Connecticut and Massachusetts were not included in the incorporation of the Bill of Rights.