Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Practice Exam

What limitations does the Fourteenth Amendment impose on state power?

1. A state cannot deny a citizen's privileges or immunities.

2. A state may deprive persons of life without due process.

3. A state can provide unequal protection of law.

4. A state shall allow any actions violating civil liberties.

The correct answer is: A state cannot deny a citizen's privileges or immunities.

The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, plays a crucial role in the protection of individual rights against state actions. Among its various provisions, one of the key limitations it imposes on state power is that states cannot deny any citizen their privileges or immunities as outlined in the amendment. This means that states are restricted from infringing upon the rights that are recognized as fundamental to American citizenship. This provision is significant because it ensures that citizens are afforded certain basic rights regardless of the state in which they reside, effectively aiming to create a uniform standard of rights across the country. It establishes an important safeguard against state actions that could otherwise restrict individual liberties and rights, serving to promote equality and prevent discrimination. The other options do not accurately reflect the intent or wording of the Fourteenth Amendment and highlight actions that would contravene the amendment's protections. Hence, the correct understanding of this limitation under the Fourteenth Amendment is the prohibition against states denying citizens' privileges or immunities.