Final answer:
Eminent domain is the power of the government to take private property for public use, as long as just compensation is provided. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution allows for eminent domain but does not specifically define the terms 'public use' or 'just compensation'. Recent controversies sparked by the use of eminent domain for economic development have led to legal changes in many states, making it harder for cities to take property from one private party and give it to another.
Step-by-step explanation:
The power of the state to take privilege property for public use is called eminent domain. Eminent domain is the right of the government to expropriate private property for public use but with the requirement that just compensation is provided to the property owners.
Under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, the government is allowed to exercise eminent domain as long as the property is used for public use, such as building schools or new roads. However, the government must pay a fair amount for the property and provide just compensation.
For example, in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of municipal officials taking homes in a middle-class neighborhood to obtain land for a pharmaceutical company's corporate campus. This case sparked public backlash against the use of eminent domain for economic redevelopment purposes.