How has congress used the elastic clause?
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the department or officer thereof. ” The interpretation of this phrase has been controversial, especially during the early years of the republic. Strict Constructionist s interpret the clause to mean that Congress may make a law only if the inability to do so would cripple its ability to apply one of its Enumerated Powers . Others argue that the elastic clause expands the authority of Congress to all areas tangentially related to one of its enumerated powers. It is often known as the elastic clause because of the great amount of leeway in interpretation it allows; depending on the interpretation, it can be used to “stretch” or expand the powers of Congress, or allowed to “contract”, limiting Congress. One early controversy involving the “necessary and proper” clause were the charterings of the Bank Of The United St
