Which term describes the process of applying the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment?

Which term describes the process of applying the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment?

• A. Incorporation
• B. Nullification
• C. Delegation
• D. Amendment process

Answer: (A)

Incorporation is the process by which the rights in the Bill of Rights are applied to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. Originally, the Bill of Rights restricted only the federal government, but the Fourteenth Amendment binds the states as well. Courts have developed the doctrine of selective incorporation, gradually applying most federal protections to the states so that state laws and actions cannot violate those rights. The other terms describe different ideas: nullification would let states ignore federal laws, delegation means transferring authority to others, and the amendment process is how the Constitution itself is changed.

Incorporation is the process by which the rights in the Bill of Rights are applied to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. Originally, the Bill of Rights restricted only the federal government, but the Fourteenth Amendment binds the states as well. Courts have developed the doctrine of selective incorporation, gradually applying most federal protections to the states so that state laws and actions cannot violate those rights. The other terms describe different ideas: nullification would let states ignore federal laws, delegation means transferring authority to others, and the amendment process is how the Constitution itself is changed.