Constitutional provision that prohibits the government from unfairly or arbitrarily depriving a person of life, liberty, or property.

• A. Due Process Clause
• B. Memorandums of Understanding
• C. 5th and 14th
• D. Compliance Procedures

Answer: (A)

The protection against arbitrary government action that deprives someone of life, liberty, or property is provided by the Due Process Clause. This clause appears in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, with the Fifth applying to the federal government and the Fourteenth to the states. It requires the government to use fair procedures (procedural due process) before taking away life, liberty, or property, such as giving notice and an opportunity to be heard. It also supports substantive protections that safeguard fundamental rights from government interference, even when laws are neutral on their face. The other options don’t describe this constitutional guarantee: memorandums of understanding and internal compliance procedures are not constitutional provisions, and while the amendments listed house the due process protections, the best label for the provision itself is the Due Process Clause.