Which of the following principles ensures that the government does not take private property for public use without compensation?

The principle that ensures the government does not take private property for public use without compensation is known as eminent domain. This legal doctrine allows the government to acquire private property for public purposes, such as building highways or schools, but it is bound by the requirement to provide just compensation to the property owner. This principle is rooted in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation.

Eminent domain is essential in balancing the needs of the government to develop infrastructure for the public good while simultaneously protecting individual property rights, ensuring that property owners are not unfairly deprived of their land without receiving payment for its value.