Simone Lawson
The constitution is an important document and citing it correctly is essential, especially in academic and legal contexts. Different citation styles, such as MLA, APA, and Bluebook, have specific guidelines for referencing the constitution. For example, in MLA style, you can simply refer to it as the Constitution in your text and provide more specific information in the parenthetical citation. However, when using Bluebook, you should cite the United States federal constitution as U.S. Const. followed by additional details. These nuances in citation styles ensure accurate and consistent referencing of the constitution, allowing readers to easily identify and verify the source.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | MLA, APA, Bluebook Legal |
| Format | Author, title, publisher, year |
| In-text citation | Article/Amendment and section numbers |
| Source has no author | Start with source title |
| Source has no page numbers | Use alternative locator (e.g. chapter number) |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution in MLA style
When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Firstly, you should generally only cite the specific pieces of the Constitution that you are using, rather than the entire document. This means that you will need to include article, amendment, and section numbers in your in-text citations, rather than page numbers. Use the abbreviations "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations and convert any Roman numerals to Arabic numerals (e.g., "XIV" becomes "14").
Additionally, you should include information about where you accessed the Constitution in your Works Cited entry. For example, if you are citing an online version of the Constitution, include the URL in your Works Cited. If you are citing a book version of the Constitution, write the title of the book in italics and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title.
When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally just refer to it as "the Constitution" without using italicization or quotation marks. However, in your parenthetical citation, you should specify the version you are citing to match the first words of your Works Cited entry.
> “Constitution of the United States,” art. 1, sec. 4).
This example uses the abbreviation "art." for "Article" and "sec." for "Section", and it converts the Roman numeral "I" to the Arabic numeral "1."
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Citing the US Constitution in Bluebook style
The Bluebook style is a citation method used for legal documents. The 20th edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation outlines the correct way to cite the United States Constitution.
Firstly, when citing the US Constitution in Bluebook style, you should cite the United States federal constitution by using the abbreviation "U.S. Const." followed by the article number in Roman numerals, the section number, and the clause number. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2".
If you are citing a state constitution, the format is similar. You should use the abbreviated name of the state, followed by "Const." and the relevant article, section, and clause numbers. For example, "Tex. Const." or "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2".
It is important to note that if the constitutional provision is still in force, no date is needed. However, if it has been repealed or amended, you should indicate this parenthetically by providing the year and action or by citing the relevant provision in full. For example, "U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
Additionally, according to Rule 11, you should not use a short form other than "id." for constitutions. This means that when referring to the US Constitution, you should always use the full citation as outlined above and not a shortened version.
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Citing the US Constitution in APA style
When citing the US Constitution in APA style, you should first note that most legal materials are cited using Bluebook style, which is the standard legal citation style used in all disciplines. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
If you simply want to make a passing reference to the US Constitution in an APA Style paper, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using some part of the US Constitution as evidence to support a point you are making in your paper, you should construct the citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
All citations of the US Constitution begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The terms article, amendment, section, and clause are always abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. Preamble is abbreviated as "pmbl." Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). The Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date.
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Citing state constitutions
Citing the Constitution is essential when referring to specific articles, amendments, or sections of the document. The style of citation may vary depending on the formatting style guide being used, such as MLA or Bluebook.
When citing the United States Constitution in MLA style, it is generally acceptable to simply refer to it as "the Constitution" in the text without the need for italics or quotation marks. However, in the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example: ("Constitution," art. 1, sec. 4). Additionally, when citing a specific amendment, use the abbreviation "amend." and arabic numerals, for example, "amend. 14" instead of "amend. XIV."
When citing state constitutions, the basic format is similar. Cite the federal constitution by using "U.S." or the abbreviated name of the state, followed by "Const." For example, "U.S. Const." or "Tex. Const." for the state of Texas. Then, include the relevant details such as the article, section, and clause numbers. Here is an example: "Freedom of assembly is guaranteed by Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV."
It is important to ensure consistency and follow the specific guidelines of the chosen citation style to ensure accurate and proper citation of the Constitution and state constitutions.
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Citing the Constitution in book form
Citing the Constitution in a book form in MLA style requires you to include information about where you accessed it in the Works Cited entry. In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example, you can write ("Constitution of the United States," art. 1, sec. 4). Use the abbreviations “art.” (Article), “amend.” (Amendment), and “sec.” (Section) as appropriate in your citations; convert any roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals (e.g., “XIV” becomes “14”).
If you are citing a book edition of the Constitution, write the title of the book in italics, and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title. You can generally just call it "the Constitution" without italicization or quotation marks when mentioning it in your paper. However, in the parenthetical citation, you should specify the version cited to match the first words of the Works Cited entry.
For Bluebook legal citation, Rule 11 lays out the citation method for constitutional sections. You should cite the United States federal constitution by "U.S. Const." and state constitutions by "[abbreviated state name] Const." For example, "U.S. Const. art. 1, § 9, cl. 9."
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Frequently asked questions
"U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2."
When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally just call it the Constitution without using italics or quotation marks.
Cite state constitutions by using the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const." For example, "Tex. Const."
The Bluebook style is similar to the MLA style. Cite the United States federal constitution by "U.S. Const." and cite state constitutions by "[abbreviated state name] Const."
Write the title of the book in italics and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title.
