That concept paved the way for the entire evolution of civil rights in the second half of the 20th century (Dershowitz, 2002). Without it, police and government authorities could conceivably establish different rules for individuals based on their race, ethnicity, and country of origin. In that respect, the Fourteenth Amendment is arguably one of the single most important provisions of the U.S. Constitution, particularly because it was the judicial mechanism through which the Supreme Court first began applying its decisions raised in federal cases to govern state law enforcement authorities and ensure that all U.S.

citizens received equal treatment...

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