The 14th Amendment provides protection against unequal treatment on the basis of race, sex, or religion.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not addressed
• D. It does not

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is equal protection under the law. The 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause bars states from denying any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. That means laws and government actions must treat similarly situated people the same and cannot single out individuals for unequal treatment based on protected characteristics.

Over time, the courts have applied this principle to prohibit discrimination rooted in race, and they have also extended scrutiny to cases involving sex-based classifications. Religion can come into play as well because discriminatory state actions on religious grounds can be challenged under equal protection, even though religious liberty is also protected separately by the First Amendment. So the statement reflects how equal protection operates in practice: it protects against unequal treatment based on race, sex, or religion.