Under Article I substantive due process, which provision is expressly prohibited?

Under Article I substantive due process, which provision is expressly prohibited?

• A. A bill of attainder
• B. A law that affects existing contracts
• C. A tax on imports
• D. A later civil service reform act

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that Article I bars acts of the legislature that punish people without a trial—a bill of attainder. A bill of attainder is a statute that declares guilt and imposes punishment on an identifiable person or group without the benefit of a judicial trial. That direct punishment-by-legislation is expressly prohibited, which is why this is the best answer. A law that affects existing contracts engages the Contracts Clause, a separate Article I limitation that protects contractual obligations from impairment; it’s a different constitutional constraint, not the express due process-style prohibition at issue here. A tax on imports is permitted under the federal power to levy taxes and regulate commerce, so it isn’t prohibited. A later civil service reform act would be a regulatory measure and isn’t inherently forbidden.

The key idea is that Article I bars acts of the legislature that punish people without a trial—a bill of attainder. A bill of attainder is a statute that declares guilt and imposes punishment on an identifiable person or group without the benefit of a judicial trial. That direct punishment-by-legislation is expressly prohibited, which is why this is the best answer.

A law that affects existing contracts engages the Contracts Clause, a separate Article I limitation that protects contractual obligations from impairment; it’s a different constitutional constraint, not the express due process-style prohibition at issue here. A tax on imports is permitted under the federal power to levy taxes and regulate commerce, so it isn’t prohibited. A later civil service reform act would be a regulatory measure and isn’t inherently forbidden.