Which amendment contains the due process protections that apply to the states and limit state action?

• A. Fourteenth Amendment
• B. Fifth Amendment
• C. First Amendment
• D. Sixth Amendment

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that state governments are bound by due process protections through the Fourteenth Amendment. Its Due Process Clause prohibits states from depriving people of life, liberty, or property without fair procedures, and over time the courts have used this clause to apply most of the Bill of Rights to the states (a process called incorporation). That means the Fourteenth Amendment directly limits state action.

The Fifth Amendment also contains due process protections, but it originally applied only to the federal government, not the states. The First and Sixth Amendments protect specific rights, and while their protections have been incorporated to apply to the states, the question centers on the constitutional vehicle that binds states to due process, which is the Fourteenth Amendment.