Final answer:
The Supreme Court considers race and national origin as suspect classifications under the Equal Protection Clause, which means any legal distinction based on these characteristics faces strict scrutiny.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question revolves around the classifications that the Supreme Court deems as suspect under the Equal Protection Clause. The correct answer to Which of the following lists includes only what the Supreme Court considers suspect classifications under the Equal Protection Clause? is D) Race and national origin.
Suspect classifications are categories or classes that trigger the highest level of scrutiny from the courts when a law that distinguishes between people on these bases is challenged. Under this standard, known as strict scrutiny, the law is presumed to be invalid unless the government can demonstrate that it is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest. The classifications that are unquestionably recognized as suspect are race, national origin, and ethnicity. Gender is generally subjected to an intermediate level of scrutiny, which requires that the discriminatory law must serve an important government interest in a way that is substantially related to that interest.