BIOL 1001 Chapter : CH 14 Student Outline
Document Summary
The rational basis review tests whether a governmental action is a reasonable means to an end that may be legitimately pursued by the government. This test requires that the governmental action be "rationally related" to a "legitimate" government interest. under this standard of review, the "legitimate interest" does not have to be the government"s actual interest. Strict scrutiny is the most stringent standard of judicial review used by united states courts reviewing federal law. Strict scrutiny also is triggered when fundamental rights are at risk or appear to be infringed upon. But this application of strict scrutiny is not always clearly defined: suspect classification, including the conditions under which a group is named a suspect class- Intent and motivation do come into play, but the strict level of review triggered by the suspect class is very hard to overcome. The only other classification declared by the courts to be clearly a suspect class is national origin (alienage).
