elastic clause

American  

[ih-las-tik klawz] / ɪˈlæs tɪk ˈklɔz /

noun

1. a statement in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

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Example Sentences

While the enumerated powers define the policy areas in which the national government has authority, the elastic clause allows it to create the legal means to fulfill those responsibilities.

From Textbooks • Jul. 28, 2021

The Anti- Federalists believed provisions such as the so-called elastic clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution would allow Congress to legislate on matters well beyond those foreseen by the Constitution’s authors.

From Textbooks • Jul. 28, 2021

This is sometimes called "the elastic clause," since it is capable of being stretched by interpretation to cover many matters that Congress might not otherwise feel authorized to deal with.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by Garner, James Wilford