Engel v. Vitale relied on which constitutional clause?

• A. Free Exercise Clause
• B. Due Process Clause
• C. Equal Protection Clause
• D. Establishment Clause

Answer: (D)

This question hinges on the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment—the part that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or endorsing religious practice. Engel v. Vitale struck down a state-sponsored daily prayer in public schools because it amounted to government endorsement of religion, which the Establishment Clause forbids. While the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause is often discussed in terms of applying the First Amendment to the states, the key issue here is the Establishment Clause itself. The other clauses don’t fit the issue at hand—Free Exercise protects individuals’ religious practice, not government endorsement; Equal Protection concerns equal treatment under the law—so the Establishment Clause is the correct basis.