---
title: "Kelo v. City of New London — AP Lang Evidence Guide"
description: "Kelo v. New London (2005) let government seize private property for economic development. Learn how to use it as evidence in the AP Lang argument essay."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-lang/key-terms/kelo-v-city-of-new-london"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP English Language"
---

# Kelo v. City of New London — AP Lang Evidence Guide

## Definition

Kelo v. City of New London (2005) is the Supreme Court case ruling 5-4 that government may use eminent domain to take private property and transfer it to other private parties for economic development, treating that as a 'public use' under the Fifth Amendment.

## What It Is

In 2005, the Supreme Court decided that the city of New London, Connecticut could take Susette Kelo's home (the famous little pink house) and hand the land to a private developer, because the planned economic development counted as a "public use" under the [Fifth Amendment](/ap-lang/key-terms/fifth-amendment "fv-autolink")'s Takings Clause. The vote was 5-4, and the backlash was enormous. Dozens of states passed laws limiting eminent domain afterward. The bitter postscript makes the case even more useful as [evidence](/ap-lang/unit-2/developing-thesis-statements/study-guide/3KvISz4DdXOOKPTU4qbd "fv-autolink"): the development fell through, and the land where Kelo's house stood sat empty for years.

For [AP Lang](/ap-lang "fv-autolink"), you're not memorizing this case for a history test. You're stockpiling it as evidence. Kelo is a ready-made example for argument prompts about government power, individual rights, the common good versus personal liberty, or whether ends justify means. It's specific, it's real, and it has a built-in tension (a city trying to revive its economy versus a woman losing her home), which is exactly the kind of complexity strong argument essays run on.

## Why It Matters

This term lives in Topic 11.2, [Building Strong Evidence and Commentary for the Argument Essay](/ap-lang/argument-essay/evidence-commentary/study-guide/wE6wK6rdYreIG3vJ "fv-autolink"). The [argument](/ap-lang/unit-5/developing-commentary/study-guide/XCOsJDogjH9fPDcdbsrS "fv-autolink") FRQ asks you to defend a position with evidence and, just as importantly, commentary that explains how that evidence proves your claim. Vague evidence ("sometimes the government takes people's stuff") earns vague scores. Kelo gives you a named case, a date, a 5-4 split, a sympathetic plaintiff, and an ironic outcome. That specificity is what separates a developed line of reasoning from a list of assertions. The case also works on multiple sides of a prompt. You can cite it to argue government overreach, or cite the majority's logic to argue that communities sometimes need collective tools to fight economic decline. Evidence that can flex like that is gold on exam day.

## Connections

### Eminent Domain (Topic 11.2)

[Eminent domain](/ap-lang/key-terms/eminent-domain "fv-autolink") is the government's power to take private property for public use with just compensation. Kelo is the case that stretched 'public use' to include private economic development, which is why the two terms almost always travel together.

### Fifth Amendment (Topic 11.2)

The Takings [Clause](/ap-lang/key-terms/clause "fv-autolink") of the Fifth Amendment is the constitutional hook for the whole case. If you cite Kelo in an essay, naming the Fifth Amendment shows you understand where the legal fight actually happened, not just the headline.

### Kohl v. United States (Topic 11.2)

Kohl (1875) established that the federal government has eminent domain power at all. Kelo, 130 years later, tested how far that power reaches. Together they make a tidy then-and-now pair for an essay about expanding government authority.

### Explanation / Commentary (Topic 11.2)

Dropping Kelo's name earns you nothing by itself. The commentary, explaining why a 5-4 decision and a failed development project prove your [claim](/ap-lang/unit-1/developing-paragraphs/study-guide/uFAtODLiyzEc9c5e8ST7 "fv-autolink") about power or fairness, is what the argument rubric actually rewards.

## On the AP Exam

On the AP Lang exam, Kelo shows up only if you bring it. The argument essay (Question 3) gives you an open-ended prompt and asks you to support a thesis with evidence from your reading, observation, or experience. Kelo is a strong fit for prompts about authority, individual rights, sacrifice for the common good, or unintended consequences. To earn evidence-and-commentary points, do three things. State the case accurately (2005, Supreme Court, eminent domain for economic development). Pick the detail that serves your claim, like the 5-4 split if you're arguing the issue is genuinely contested, or the failed development if you're arguing about overreach. Then explain the connection explicitly rather than assuming the reader sees it. No released FRQ requires this case by name; it's an example you choose, which is exactly how Topic 11.2 frames evidence-building.

## Kelo v. City of New London vs Kohl v. United States

The names are one letter apart, but the cases do different jobs. Kohl v. United States (1875) confirmed that the federal government possesses eminent domain power in the first place (taking land in Cincinnati for a federal building, a clearly public use). Kelo v. City of New London (2005) asked how far 'public use' stretches, and answered that transferring property to private developers for economic growth counts. Kohl is about whether the power exists; Kelo is about its limits.

## Key Takeaways

- Kelo v. City of New London (2005) held 5-4 that taking private property for private economic development qualifies as a 'public use' under the Fifth Amendment.
- For AP Lang, Kelo is evidence material for the argument essay, not a term you'll be quizzed on directly.
- The case works for prompts about government power, individual rights versus the common good, and unintended consequences, since the planned development in New London never materialized.
- Specific details (the 5-4 vote, the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause, the state backlash laws) make your commentary concrete instead of generic.
- Don't confuse Kelo with Kohl v. United States (1875), which established federal eminent domain power rather than testing its limits.
- Naming the case isn't enough; the rubric rewards explaining how Kelo's facts prove your specific claim.

## FAQs

### What is Kelo v. City of New London in simple terms?

It's the 2005 Supreme Court case where New London, Connecticut took Susette Kelo's house through eminent domain and gave the land to a private developer. The Court ruled 5-4 that economic development counts as a 'public use' under the Fifth Amendment.

### Do I need to know Kelo v. New London for the AP Lang exam?

Not as a required term. AP Lang has no mandatory case list, but Kelo is excellent self-chosen evidence for the argument essay (Question 3), which is why it appears under Topic 11.2 on building evidence and commentary.

### Did the development in Kelo v. New London ever get built?

No. The redevelopment project collapsed, and the land where Kelo's house stood remained vacant for years. That irony makes the case especially useful for arguments about government overreach or unintended consequences.

### How is Kelo v. New London different from Kohl v. United States?

Kohl (1875) established that the federal government has eminent domain power at all, used for a clearly public federal building. Kelo (2005) expanded what 'public use' means by allowing takings for private economic development. Kohl created the tool; Kelo tested its limits.

### Did Kelo v. New London say the government can take property for any reason?

No. The government still must pay just compensation and claim a public purpose. Kelo broadened 'public use' to include economic development, but the backlash led many states to pass laws restricting that exact use of eminent domain.

## Related Study Guides

- [Building Strong Evidence and Commentary for the Argument Essay](/ap-lang/argument-essay/evidence-commentary/study-guide/wE6wK6rdYreIG3vJ)

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