The Takings Clause is part of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and says that the government may not take private property for public use without just compensation. The clause has been held to apply to both the states and the federal government.

We’ll focus this lesson on two major aspects of takings. First, we’ll explore the kinds of government action that are considered to be takings. Second, we’ll discuss what constitutes a public use that allows a taking in the first...