The Fourteenth Amendment increases the power of the national government by granting it the authority to protect the fundamental rights of all citizens and ensuring equal protection under the law. It empowers the national government to enforce and protect these rights against actions by the states. This amendment also gives the national government the ability to intervene in state laws and practices that violate the constitutional rights of individuals, thereby expanding federal authority.
The Fourteenth Amendment increases the power of the national government primarily through its provisions on equal protection and due process. These provisions were intended to protect the rights of individuals against infringement by state governments. By placing limitations on the actions of state governments, the amendment empowered the federal government to intervene and ensure that states are complying with the rights afforded to individuals under the Constitution. In doing so, the Fourteenth Amendment expanded the power of the national government in safeguarding individual liberties and promoting equal treatment for all citizens.
