In Brown v. Board of Education, the Court relied primarily on which type of evidence?

• A. The intent of the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment
• B. The intent of Congress in the Fourteenth Amendment
• C. Social science evidence
• D. A narrow interpretation of the U.S. Constitution

Answer: (C)

The main idea being tested is how the Court treats evidence in a constitutional equality case. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Court relied on social science evidence to show the real-world harms of racial segregation in public schools. Psychological studies, including the Clark doll experiments, demonstrated that segregation fostered a sense of inferiority in Black children and affected their educational development. This empirical evidence helped the Court conclude that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, which matters for the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This approach stands in contrast to focusing on what the framers or Congress intended (or on a narrow, text-only reading of the Constitution). The decision used social science findings to argue about outcomes and impacts, not just constitutional language, signaling a shift toward considering empirical realities when evaluating equality under law.