Gerasimova A.E. The history and modernity of the principle of equal protection of the laws in the United States (on the example of overcoming racial discrimination)

Abstract: This article examines the issues associated with the history of emergence of the principle of equal protection of the laws throughout the period since the introduction of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution until present time. Through the prism of legal precedent, the author analyzes such phenomena as discrimination and positive discrimination, the “positive measures” policy of the US government, and mechanisms of verification of presence or absence of signs of discrimination within any given act of the branches of government. The author makes a conclusion on the existence of two types of discrimination of African-American population: direct discrimination and positive discrimination. As a mechanism for deterring discrimination, the author examines the method of “strict scrutiny” formed by the legal precedent of the Supreme Court of the United States. This mechanism could be used to prevent discrimination in other social areas, thus its application could also enrich the Russian legal science and practice.

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