Commandeering is an act of appropriation by the military or police whereby they take possession of the property of a member of the public.
In United States law, it also refers to federal government actions which would force a state government to take some action that it otherwise would not take. [1] The US Supreme Court has held that commandeering violates principles designed to prevent either the state or federal governments from becoming too powerful.[2][3] Writing for the majority in 1997, Justice Scalia said, "[t]he Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command the States' officers, or those of their political subdivisions, to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program." [4]
