Which statement about the 14th Amendment is true?

Which statement about the 14th Amendment is true?

• A. It created the right to bear arms.
• B. It applies the Bill of Rights to the states.
• C. It established the Electoral College.
• D. It limited the power of the federal government.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is incorporation: the 14th Amendment uses its Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses to make many protections in the Bill of Rights binding on state and local governments, not just the federal government. This is why the statement that the 14th applies the Bill of Rights to the states is true. The right to bear arms comes from the Second Amendment, not the 14th. The Electoral College is created by the Constitution and related amendments, not by the 14th. And the 14th Amendment isn’t about limiting the federal government; it primarily constrains state action to protect individual rights. Over time, the courts have gradually applied most of those federal liberties to the states through incorporation.

The main idea here is incorporation: the 14th Amendment uses its Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses to make many protections in the Bill of Rights binding on state and local governments, not just the federal government. This is why the statement that the 14th applies the Bill of Rights to the states is true. The right to bear arms comes from the Second Amendment, not the 14th. The Electoral College is created by the Constitution and related amendments, not by the 14th. And the 14th Amendment isn’t about limiting the federal government; it primarily constrains state action to protect individual rights. Over time, the courts have gradually applied most of those federal liberties to the states through incorporation.