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The incorporation doctrine, established through the Fourteenth Amendment, primarily serves to apply the Bill of Rights to the states. This means that most of the protections and rights found in the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which initially applied only to the federal government, are now also applicable to state governments. This process involves the use of the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, which has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to mean that states cannot infringe on these fundamental rights.

This incorporation has significant implications for individual rights at the state level, ensuring that citizens are protected from state actions that could violate those rights. As a result, various provisions of the Bill of Rights—like the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures—have been enforced against state governments through this doctrine.

The incorrect options involve misunderstanding the scope and effect of the incorporation doctrine. While limiting state powers is a byproduct of applying these federal rights, the primary effect is the direct application of the Bill of Rights. The structure of state governments is defined by state constitutions and is not directly altered by the incorporation doctrine. Lastly, allowing states to create their own Bill of Rights is not accurate in the context of the incorporation doctrine;