The right of the government to condemn private property for public use is known as:

• A. Escheat
• B. Police power
• C. Eminent domain
• D. Zoning

Answer: (C)

Eminent domain is the government's right to condemn private property for a public use, and the owner must be paid just compensation. This power is exercised when land is needed for projects that serve the public—like highways, schools, or utilities—and is carried out through formal condemnation proceedings. The key idea is taking for public benefit, not merely regulating or restricting how land can be used. By contrast, police power allows the government to regulate land use to protect health, safety, and welfare (for example, zoning and building codes) without taking private property. Escheat happens when someone dies without heirs and the property reverts to the state, not through taking for public use. Zoning is a tool of police power that sets permitted uses, not a government acquisition.