Which case is often cited as establishing the concept of liberty under substantive due process in early Supreme Court doctrine?

• A. Lochner v. New York (1905)
• B. Palko v. Connecticut (1937)
• C. Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)
• D. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Answer: (A)

Substantive due process protects certain fundamental liberties from government interference, including the idea that individuals have freedom of contract. Lochner v. New York (1905) is the classic early case that illustrates this, holding that a state law limiting bakers’ working hours violated the liberty of contract protected by due process. This framing showed the Court viewing personal economic rights as constitutional protections, a view later rolled back as the Court became more deferential to economic regulation in the 1930s. The other cases don’t fit this early doctrine: Palko focused on double jeopardy and incorporation; Planned Parenthood v. Casey concerns abortion rights in a much later era; and Dred Scott v. Sandford deals with slavery and citizenship, not substantive due process liberty.