The constitutional principle that most provisions of the Bill of Rights apply to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. It makes federal constitutional rights enforceable against all levels of government.
From Latin 'incorporare' (to form into a body), combined with 'doctrine' from Latin 'doctrina' (teaching). The legal concept developed in the 20th century as courts 'incorporated' Bill of Rights protections into the Fourteenth Amendment's constraints on states.
Before incorporation, the Bill of Rights only protected you from federal government overreach—states could establish religions, seize property without compensation, or deny jury trials! This doctrine revolutionized American civil liberties by making constitutional rights truly national, with landmark cases like Mapp v. Ohio extending Fourth Amendment protections to state criminal prosecutions.
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