Jonah Patel
The American Psychological Association (APA) recommends following the Bluebook style for citing legal materials, including constitutions. While you don't need to cite a whole federal or state constitution, you should reference specific articles and amendments. The US Constitution should be abbreviated to U.S. Const. in reference lists and parenthetical citations, followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example, U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933). State constitutions follow a similar format, using the standard state abbreviation, e.g., Md. Const. for the Maryland Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA |
| Type of source | Constitution |
| Federal or state | Simply refer to the constitution in the text; no citation is necessary |
| Particular articles and amendments | Create reference list entries and in-text citations as normal |
| Abbreviation | U.S. Const. |
| State abbreviations | Use legal state abbreviations, e.g. Md. Const. for the Maryland Constitution |
| Full name | In the narrative, use either U.S. or United States for the U.S. Constitution |
| State name | Spell out the name of the state for a state constitution, e.g. the Wisconsin Constitution |
| Article and amendment numbers | Use Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Section and clause numbers | Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Date | No date is needed unless the amendment has been repealed |
| URL | Not necessary |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard guide for citing legal materials in APA style. The Bluebook (18th ed., 2005) states that you do not need to create a citation for entire federal or state constitutions. Simply reference them in the text by name, such as "the U.S. Constitution" or "Indiana's Constitution."
When citing particular articles and amendments, create reference list entries and in-text citations as normal. The US Constitution should be abbreviated in reference lists and parentheticals to U.S. Const. Use legal state abbreviations for state constitutions, such as In. Const. for Indiana's Constitution. In the narrative, spell out these place names: U.S., United States, Indiana.
All citations of the U.S. 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).
For example, the founding fathers addressed the process by which new states may join the union (U.S. Const. art. I, § 3). During prohibition, the sale of liquor was made illegal (U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933).
Note that the Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date.
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Citing a state constitution
When citing a state constitution in APA style, you should follow the Bluebook style, which is the standard for legal citations. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005; www.legalbluebook.com) is the go-to reference for legal citation style.
If you are simply referring to a state constitution in passing, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. For example, "The Massachusetts Constitution, ratified in 1780, is the oldest written constitution still in use." However, if you are citing a particular article or amendment as evidence, you should create a reference list entry and an in-text citation.
For example, if you were citing Article I, Section 3 of the Massachusetts Constitution, your in-text citation would look like this: (Mass. Const. art. I, § 3). The reference list entry would be:
Mass. Const. art. I, § 3.
Note that the abbreviation "Mass." is used for Massachusetts, following the legal state abbreviation. The article number is given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), and the section number is given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). This follows the Bluebook style, which states that article and amendment numbers are in Roman numerals, while section and clause numbers are in Arabic numerals.
Additionally, if you are citing a part of the constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses, e.g., (Mass. Const. art. I, § 3, repealed 2022).
It's important to consult the Bluebook or a law librarian for further guidance on legal citations, as citing constitutions is not specifically covered in the APA Publication Manual.
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Referencing articles and amendments
When referencing articles and amendments in the APA style, there are specific guidelines to follow. Firstly, all citations of the U.S. Constitution should begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article" and "amendment" are abbreviated to "art." and "amend." respectively, while "section" and "clause" are abbreviated to "§" and "cl." respectively.
Article and amendment numbers are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, the citation for Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution would be "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3."
When citing amendments, the format remains similar. For example, to reference Amendment XIX of the U.S. Constitution, the citation would be "U.S. Const. amend. XIX."
It is important to note that no date is required in the reference unless the specific article or amendment has been repealed or amended. In such cases, include the year of the change in parentheses.
Additionally, when referring to a federal or state constitution in general, a citation may not be necessary. Simply referring to the constitution in the text may suffice. However, when citing specific articles or amendments, it is essential to follow the APA style guidelines mentioned above.
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Using Bluebook style
APA style defers to Bluebook style for legal materials. The Bluebook sets the standard for all legal citations, and the style for legal citations in the Publication Manual comes directly from the Bluebook.
- Abbreviate the geographic region: According to Table 10 of the Bluebook, abbreviate the geographic region of the constitution you are citing. For example, use "U.S." for the United States Constitution and "Haw." for the Hawaii Constitution.
- Use "CONST." in small caps typeface: Combine the abbreviated geographic region with the word "CONST." in small caps typeface. For example, "U.S. CONST." or "Haw. CONST.".
- Include the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause: After the abbreviation and "CONST.", include the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. Abbreviate these terms as follows: "art." for article, "amend." for amendment, "§" for section, and "cl." for clause. For example, "U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 2" or "Haw. CONST. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2".
- Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers: Article and amendment numbers should be given in Roman numerals (e.g., I, II, III).
- Use Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers: Section and clause numbers should be given in Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
- Omit the date for current provisions: If the constitutional provision is still in force, do not include a date. However, for repealed or amended provisions, indicate the year and action or cite the repealing/amending provision in full. For example, "U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)" or "U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. CONST. amend. XXI".
- Abbreviate subdivisions: Abbreviate subdivisions according to Table 16 of the Bluebook.
- Cite foreign constitutions by name: According to Rule 11 of the Bluebook, all foreign constitutions should be cited by name.
- No short citations: Rule 11 of the Bluebook also states that you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id.".
By following these guidelines, you can properly cite a constitution in Bluebook style, which is the standard citation style for legal materials.
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Creating a generic reference
When creating a generic reference for a source in APA style, there are a few key elements that should be included, as outlined in the Publication Manual. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a generic reference:
Who/Author:
Begin by identifying the author or editor of the source. If it is an individual, provide their surname and initials. For example, Smith, J. K. If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas, and use an ampersand before the last name. For example, Smith, J. K., & Doe, J. R. In the case of an organization or institution, simply state the full name of the organization as the author.
Date:
Include the date the source was published or created. Typically, the year is sufficient, but if a more precise date is available, include the month and day as well, in parentheses: (Year, Month Day). If no date is provided, use "n.d." to indicate that there is "no date" specified.
Provide the title of the work or source. This should be in sentence case, with only the first word and any proper nouns capitalized. If there is no title, create a brief yet descriptive title and enclose it in square brackets. For example, [Lecture on Quantum Mechanics]. If you wish to include the format of the source, you can do so in square brackets after the title, e.g., [Speech, PowerPoint slides].
Additional Information:
Depending on the type of source, you may include additional information such as the URL or page numbers. For example, Smith, J. K. (2023, June 5). The Impact of Quantum Mechanics [Lecture]. https://university.com/lectures/quantum.
No Author:
In the absence of an author or editor, some sources may be attributed to a corporate author or organization. In such cases, provide the first few words of the title in italics, followed by a comma, and then the date. For example, *The Great Gatsby*, 2018.
Legal Citations:
When dealing with legal materials, APA style typically defers to the Bluebook style of citation. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard reference for legal citations. For example, when citing the U.S. Constitution, use "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers.
Remember, this is a general guide, and specific sources may require additional elements or variations as outlined in the APA Publication Manual.
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Frequently asked questions
You don't need to create a citation for an entire federal or state constitution. Simply reference it in the text by name, for example, "the U.S. Constitution" or "the Wisconsin Constitution".
In the reference list and in parenthetical citations, abbreviate "U.S. Constitution" to "U.S. Const." and use the legal state abbreviation for a state constitution (e.g. "Md. Const." for the Maryland Constitution). Then, provide the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard style guide for legal citations. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials and uses those templates and patterns in bibliographies.
