Unconstitutionally Illegitimate Discrimination

Article — Volume 104, Issue 8

104 Va. L. Rev. 1471
Download PDF

When government officials express intent to disparage or discriminate against a group, the constitutional consequences can be severe, but they are rarely imposed. In this Article, I argue that discriminatory motive is, and should be, enough to declare government acts unconstitutional. Second, I argue that the main reason why is the harm it causes to government legitimacy. While some argue that the concern with intentional discrimination is its harm, such as stigmatizing effect, I argue that the focus should not be on harm, but on how it delegitimizes government. I make the descriptive claim that constitutional doctrine, in its broad outlines, reflects a legitimacy-based view. In the Equal Protection context, courts have set out how discriminatory goals are not legitimate state interests. In the executive action context, courts state that absent a legitimate and bona fide justification, the Executive may not have power delegated from Congress to act. What courts have not done is specified what happens when the hammer falls: how intent disables government policymaking and for how long. The legitimacy-focused approach can neutralize government decisions, even when the government tries to re-do its policy and claim new reasons. Third, I argue that the legitimacy-focused approach toward constitutional intent doctrine that I advance in this Article is normatively preferable. The approach does incentivize insincere reasons for government actions. However, I argue that the advantages outweigh those costs. There are real benefits to even insincere expressions of non-discrimination. Conversely, when the government makes discriminatory statements, this is very strong evidence of discriminatory motive. During a time of nationwide litigation of intentional discrimination claims in areas including immigration rights, voting rights, and religious non-establishment, it has never been more important to set out the doctrine, the costs, and the consequences of unconstitutionally illegitimate intent.

Click on a link below to access the full text of this article. These are third-party content providers and may require a separate subscription for access.

  Volume 104 / Issue 8  

Administrative Rationality Review

By Maria Ponomarenko
104 Va. L. Rev. 1399

Unconstitutionally Illegitimate Discrimination

By Brandon L. Garrett
104 Va. L. Rev. 1471

Predicting Enemies

By Ashley S. Deeks
104 Va. L. Rev. 1529

A “Corporate Democracy”? Freedom of Speech and the SEC

By Karl M. F. Lockhart
104 Va. L. Rev. 1593