Final answer:
Governmental bodies can legally discriminate, setting age requirements for a driver's license and alcohol consumption, as well as academic thresholds for university admissions. Voter identification laws further exemplify legal discrimination, potentially hindering young, minority, and low-income citizen's access to voting due to stricter identification requirements.
Step-by-step explanation:
While the equal protection clause advocates for equal treatment by the law, governments, whether federal, state, or local, can implement certain forms of legal discrimination. For example, age restrictions for obtaining a driver's license or engaging in activities such as smoking or consuming alcohol are forms of legal age-based discrimination. Similarly, educational institutions may set academic requirements, like minimum SAT scores or GPAs, which create a threshold that discriminates against individuals who do not meet these criteria.
Moreover, policies like voter identification laws can disproportionately affect specific demographics, such as young adults, minorities, and low-income groups. These individuals are less likely to possess the required government-issued photo identification, and as a result, they may face barriers in exercising their right to vote. These laws and requirements are examples of how legal discrimination manifests in our society and how it affects accessibility to certain rights and privileges, such as voting or driving.