What is another name for the Elastic Clause?

What is another name for the Elastic Clause?

• A. The Commerce Clause
• B. The Privileges and Immunities Clause
• C. The Necessary and Proper Clause
• D. The Supremacy Clause

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is recognizing that the Elastic Clause is the same as the Necessary and Proper Clause. This clause, found in Article I, Section 8, gives Congress the power to pass laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers. Its nickname, “elastic,” highlights its flexibility—the ability to stretch Congress’s authority to address new situations as long as the laws are necessary and proper to execute those powers. That’s why this name is the best fit. The other options point to different constitutional provisions—the Commerce Clause regulates interstate trade, the Privileges and Immunities Clause protects citizens’ rights across states, and the Supremacy Clause says the Constitution and federal laws are supreme—none of which are the Elastic Clause.