Rights to due process and equal protection for all people, not just citizens, are termed?

• A. Civil Rights
• B. Civil Liberties
• C. Lemon Test
• D. Establishment Clause

Answer: (A)

Civil rights are protections against government action that ensure equal treatment and fair procedures for all people, regardless of citizenship status. The due process clauses (in the 5th and 14th Amendments) guarantee fair procedures before the government can deprive someone of life, liberty, or property, while the Equal Protection Clause (in the 14th Amendment) requires laws to treat similarly situated people alike. These guarantees apply to all persons, not just citizens, which is why this term is used. Civil liberties, by contrast, refer to freedoms from government interference (like speech and religion) and are not primarily about equal treatment under law. The Lemon Test and Establishment Clause deal with church-state relations rather than protections against discrimination. So the best term for these rights is civil rights.