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rational relationship

Defined in 1 dictionary — Case Law

Definitions from Case Law

From 394 U.S. 802 - McDonald v. Board of Election Comm'rs of Chicago · 1969Most cited · 1,731 citing opinions

The distinctions drawn by a challenged statute must bear some rational relationship to a legitimate state end and will be set aside as violative of the Equal Protection Clause only if based on reasons totally unrelated to the pursuit of that goal. Legislatures are presumed to have acted constitutionally even if source materials normally resorted to for ascertaining their grounds for action are otherwise silent, and their statutory classifications will be set aside only if no grounds can be conceived to justify them.