Which clause limits the national government's power by requiring due process before depriving life, liberty, or property?

• A. Due Process Clause
• B. Establishment Clause
• C. Free Exercise Clause
• D. Lemon Test

Answer: (A)

This question tests how due process protections limit the federal government’s power. The Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment says the federal government cannot deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. That means before the government can take away these fundamental rights, it must provide fair procedures—notice, a hearing, and a chance to defend oneself.

The other options address religion rather than procedural safeguards. The Establishment Clause bars the government from establishing a religion; the Free Exercise Clause protects religious practice; the Lemon Test is a framework used to evaluate Establishment Clause issues. None of these require fair procedural protections before depriving someone of life, liberty, or property, so they don’t fit the question as well.