Final answer:
The strict scrutiny test requires the government to demonstrate a compelling interest for laws that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or national origin, and prove laws are narrowly tailored and the least restrictive means needed to achieve that interest.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strict scrutiny test is a legal principle that places the highest burden of proof on the government when it comes to justifying laws or policies that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or national origin. To pass the strict scrutiny test, the government must prove that such discrimination is the least restrictive means necessary to achieve a compelling governmental interest.
Laws that do not meet this high standard are often struck down as unconstitutional. Other forms of discrimination, such as based on sex, are generally reviewed under intermediate scrutiny, which requires that the differential treatment be substantially related to an important governmental objective.
Discrimination that does not involve either a suspect class or a fundamental right is generally subjected to rational basis review, the most lenient standard, which just requires the government's action to be rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest.
In the context of discrimination, the strict scrutiny test places the greatest burden of proof on the government to prove that classifications are the least restrictive means to achieve a compelling government goal.
Under strict scrutiny, the government must demonstrate that there is a compelling governmental interest in treating people from one group differently and that the law or action is narrowly tailored to achieve the goal in question. If there is a non-discriminatory way to accomplish the goal, discrimination should not take place. Strict scrutiny is typically applied to cases involving racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination