Equal Protection Ed: Is it Discrimination?

​Is it illegal Discrimination? Equal Protection Edition

• For this activity we will look at government actions and determine if they violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

• Use your notes on the rational basis, intermediate scrutiny (substantial relationship) and strict scrutiny tests to determine if illegal discrimination is taking place.

• Provide reasoning to justify your answers:

  • i.e. "In this case, the strict scrutiny test would be applied because ____ is a member of a protected class and he is being discriminated against due to his race. Therefore the state would have to prove..... the facts do not back up this explanation, so this is illegal discrimination."

Open Ended

A state law prohibits beer sales to males ages 18 to 20 but allows females to buy alcohol at age 18 because more males are arrested for drunk driving.

Open Ended

A state law requires that police officers be able to run a mile in under 7 minutes and do 30 push-ups in a minute.

Open Ended

Due to high racial tensions and a recent riot, the governor of a state declares that public transportation (busses, trains, airplanes etc) in the state will be cordoned off into sections for “colored” and “non-colored” individuals, at least until tensions calm down.

Open Ended

In selecting applicants for government jobs, preference is given to veterans.

Open Ended

A state law requires that workers at voting stations can require would-be voters to show ID if they believe the voters look foreign.

Open Ended

A local public university with a small population of minority students decides to include race/ethnicity as a part of its decision in admitting students to the school, making it more likely that minority students will be admitted. The decision is aimed at increasing enrollment of students from minority groups.

Open Ended

A state law in Kansas forbids people under the age of 15 from getting married.

Open Ended

A new federal law requires people to show proof of citizenship or asylum to receive SNAP (food stamp) benefit.