In cases involving affirmative action in higher education, such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) and Fisher v. University of Texas (2016), the Supreme Court has consistently applied which standard of review?

Core Concept

This is correct. Any government policy or law that classifies individuals based on race or ethnicity is subject to strict scrutiny, the highest standard of judicial review, to ensure it does not violate the Equal Protection Clause.