Which case is most closely associated with the use of eminent domain for economic development?

• A. Kelo v. City of New London
• B. Lemon v. Kurtzman
• C. Employment Division v. Smith
• D. Schenck v. United States

Answer: (A)

Eminent domain can be used for projects that advance a broad public purpose, not just for direct public works. The case that is most closely tied to using eminent domain to spur economic development is the one where the Supreme Court upheld a city’s plans to take private property and transfer it to private developers for a redevelopment project aimed at generating jobs and tax revenue. The Court treated the economic benefits to the community as meeting the “public use” requirement, as long as the plan was part of a broader project with public oversight and benefits.

This is why it stands out. The other landmark decisions involve entirely different constitutional issues—Lemon deals with the Establishment Clause and religious establishment; Employment Division v. Smith concerns free exercise of religion; Schenck v. United States addresses limits on free speech during wartime. They don’t address eminent domain or economic-development takings, so they don’t fit the question as closely.