What legal concept allows the government to take land for public use?

Eminent domain is the legal concept that empowers the government to take private property for public use while providing just compensation to the property owner. This principle is rooted in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. The rationale behind eminent domain is that the government may need to obtain land for projects that benefit the public, such as highways, parks, schools, or other infrastructure.

In this context, private property rights refer to the rights of individuals to own and use their property. While these rights are fundamental, they may be limited by the government's need to serve the greater public good through eminent domain. Property law encompasses the broader set of rules and regulations governing how property is owned and used but does not specifically address the mechanism of taking land for public use. Public domain, on the other hand, refers to property that is owned by the government and available for public use, but this does not involve the action of taking private property, which is what eminent domain specifically addresses.