But back when the NHS was set up in 1948, health was seen as a complete responsibility of the state, whereas care was means-tested, and very much the domain of the family and the local community.

BBC: Caerphilly mother's terminally ill care funding despair

Nine state supreme courts and 44 state legislatures subsequently strengthened criteria for allowing eminent domain, according to the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm focused on property rights.

WSJ: Battle of the Beach

Mr. McDonough said he voted for Mr. Christie and would vote for him again, but he said the state would only get to erect dunes or other shore-front protection projects on his land if it used eminent domain and condemned the property.

WSJ: Homeowners Draw a Line in the Sand Over Dunes