Which of the following statements is true about Craig v. Boren?

• A. It applied strict scrutiny to gender classifications
• B. It applied intermediate scrutiny to gender classifications
• C. It applied rational basis to gender classifications
• D. It avoided addressing gender classifications

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is how the Constitution reviews laws that classify people by gender. Craig v. Boren is a landmark because it established that gender classifications receive heightened scrutiny, specifically intermediate scrutiny. Under this standard, a law must show that the gender-based distinction serves an important government objective and that the distinction is substantially related to achieving that objective. In this case, Oklahoma set different beer-purchase ages for men and women. The Court struck the law down because the stated goal of promoting public safety wasn’t shown to be substantially related to the gender distinction; the evidence didn’t justify treating men and women differently for this purpose. So the decision applies intermediate scrutiny to gender classifications. It doesn’t use strict scrutiny, which requires a compelling interest, nor does it use rational basis, which is far easier for the government to satisfy. It also isn’t avoiding the issue—it's directly addressing gender classifications and the appropriate level of scrutiny.