The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits states from denying “any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Question

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits states from denying “any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

In 3-4 sentences, analyze how the language of the Equal Protection Clause shows intention to safeguard all ‘groups’/people’s civil liberties? In your response, specify which groups/people are ‘protected’ and are there any groups not protected?? Provide details to support your answer.

Answer 1

The language of the Equal Protection Clause explicitly states that all "persons" within a state's jurisdiction are entitled to equal protection of the laws, indicating that the clause is intended to safeguard the civil liberties of all individuals, regardless of their characteristics or group affiliations. This language ensures that the government cannot discriminate against any specific group or individual based on factors such as race, gender, religion, or nationality. However, it is important to note that the Equal Protection Clause only protects against discrimination by the government, meaning that private individuals or entities may still discriminate against certain groups without violating the clause.