Lesson 18: How Has the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment Changed the Constitution?

Lesson Purpose

The Fifth Amendment limits only the national government, but the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that states shall not deprive people of life, liberty, or property without "due process of law." The Constitution does not define "due process of law." However, the concept has deep roots in English history, and it has played a central role in Americans' understanding of whether government actions affecting life, liberty, and property are valid. This lesson explains how the interpretation of due process has changed in American law since the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment and how the requirement of due process has been used to protect the rights of individuals against actions by state governments.