What fundamental right is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment?

The Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides several protections, the most significant of which includes the right to equal protection under the law. This principle is articulated in the Equal Protection Clause, which states that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws." This clause has been foundational in various landmark Supreme Court cases addressing issues of civil rights, discrimination, and ensuring that individuals are treated equally by the law, regardless of race, gender, or other characteristics.

For example, the Equal Protection Clause served as the cornerstone for decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, highlighting how the amendment seeks to eradicate unjust discrimination. Thus, understanding the significance of equal protection enriches the discourse about civil liberties and justice in a democratic society.

Other options, while important rights, are either protected under different amendments or do not fall under the specific protections included in the Fourteenth Amendment. The right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment, the right to free speech is secured by the First Amendment, and the right to vote, while protected in various contexts, derives from different amendments related to voting rights, such as the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments.