Final answer:
Governments can engage in legal discrimination, such as age requirements for driving licenses or admission policies for colleges, as the equal protection clause allows for different treatment that is reasonable and serves the public interest.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of why the federal, state, and local governments can engage in what appears to be legal discrimination even with the equal protection clause in place is a matter of public policy and legal interpretation. The equal protection clause does not necessarily require absolute equality in treatment. Instead, it means that the government must treat people in similar situations similarly. This allows for the creation of laws that set ages for obtaining privileges like driving, smoking, or drinking, as well as admission policies based on academic qualifications.
For example, age requirements for driving licenses are designed to ensure that only individuals who have reached a certain level of maturity and responsibility are allowed to drive. Similarly, educational requirements for college admission are meant to maintain academic standards. Such policies are seen as a necessary and reasonable means of serving the public interest and protecting the welfare of citizens, even when they result in different treatment for different groups of people.