Abstract
Since its self-declared independence in 1776, the United States of America has always shown its will to become a grand nation. To fulfill this dream and set itself up as one of the greatest powers in a various domains on the international scale, it has gone through centuries of expansion. As a step towards this development, the massive urbanization of the 20th century has created new needs that the United States had to address. In urban areas, growth and expansion often result in the need to establish, enlarge or improve public buildings, roads, parks and services. And to achieve these goals, public agencies some times may need to acquire privately-owned property. In the United States, this can legally be done thanks to the power of eminent domain. The term "expropriation" is synonymous with eminent domain but is used with regard to jurisdictions that do not pay compensation for the confiscated property.
