Necessary-and-proper clause  The Necessary-and-Proper Clause
(also known as the Elastic Clause, the Basket Clause, the
Coefficient Clause, and the Sweeping Clause) is the provision in
Article One of the United States Constitution, section 8, clause
18:  Early Controversy  The clause provoked controversy during
discussions of the proposed constitution. While Democrats
expressed concern that the clause would grant the federal
government boundless power, Federalists argued that the clause
would only permit execution of power already granted by the
constitution. Alexander Hamilton spoke vigorously for this
second interpretation in the Federalist Papers as part of his
argument for why the federal government required powers of
taxation. At this time James Madison concurred with Hamilton,
arguing in Federalist No. 44 that without this clause, the
constitution would be a "dead letter". At the Virginia Ratifying
Convention, Patrick Henry took the opposing view, saying that
the clause would lead to limitless federal po