POL 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Rational Basis Review, Missouri Compromise, Rationality
1 Nov 2016
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Civil liberties: constitutional & legal protections from gov"t interference into citizens" personal freedoms. Civil rights: citizenship rights guaranteed to the ppl & protected by the gov"t. 14th amendment: no state shall deny to any person w/in its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Equal protection clause - only similarly situated persons be treated equally. Similarly situated ppl = race, gender, age, money. Standards of review: 3 supreme court classifications of law that discriminate. Suspect classification- classifications, such as race, for which any discriminatory law must be justified by a compelling state interest. Strict scrutiny test - the highest standard of review to assess the constitutionality of laws that limit some freedoms. Quasisuspect classification - classifications, such as gender, for which any discriminatory law must be justified by an important state interest. Intermediate standard - the middle standard - important state interest is subordinate to compelling state interest .
