Which constitutional provision prohibits the national government and states from denying life, liberty, or property without due process of law?

• A. Due process clause
• B. Equal protection clause
• C. Exclusionary rule
• D. Grandfather clause

Answer: (A)

Due process safeguards prevent the government from taking away someone’s life, liberty, or property without fair procedures. The due process clause appears in the Fifth Amendment, which limits the national government, and in the Fourteenth Amendment, which binds the states. Together, they require that when government action might deprive a person of fundamental interests, it must follow fair steps—notice, a hearing, an impartial decision maker, and a legitimate legal basis. That is why identifying the due process clause as the correct choice fits best: it explicitly anchors the protection across both federal and state levels. The equal protection clause deals with ensuring equal treatment under the law, not the procedural safeguards for deprivation. The exclusionary rule is about excluding illegally obtained evidence, not about due process itself. The grandfather clause reflects historical voting restrictions and is unrelated to due process protections.