Eleanor Finch
The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for citing legal documents, including the U.S. Constitution, in academic writing. While the APA Publication Manual provides some guidance on citing legal sources, it does not cover citing constitutions specifically. For this reason, it is recommended to refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, which sets the standard for all legal citations. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on how to correctly cite a quote from the U.S. Constitution in APA style, ensuring academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Start with | Abbreviation "U.S. Const." |
| Article | Abbreviation "art." followed by Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Amendment | Abbreviation "amend." followed by Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Section | Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Clause | Abbreviation "cl." followed by Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Preamble | Abbreviation "pmbl." |
| Date | Not included for parts of the Constitution currently in force; include the year in parentheses if repealed or amended |
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What You'll Learn
Citing a whole federal or state constitution
To cite a whole federal or state constitution, you do not need to include a citation in the references list. Simply refer to the constitution in the text. For example, you can mention "the U.S. Constitution" or "the United States Constitution" in your paper without providing a reference list entry. Similarly, for state constitutions, you can refer to "the Wisconsin Constitution" or "the Maryland Constitution" without creating a formal citation.
However, if you are citing a specific part of the constitution, such as an article, amendment, section, or clause, you should use the appropriate abbreviations and numbers. The basic structure is as follows:
> U.S. Const. (or abbreviated state name) art. (Article number in Roman numerals), § (Section number), cl. (Clause number in Arabic numerals)
For example:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 2
> Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005; www.legalbluebook.com) is the definitive guide for legal citations, including federal and state constitutions. The APA Style Publication Manual provides general guidelines for creating generic references, but for specific guidance on legal citations, it is recommended to refer to The Bluebook directly or consult a law librarian.
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Citing a part of the constitution
To cite a part of the US Constitution in APA style, you should always 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 abbreviated to "art.", "amend.", "§", and "cl." respectively.
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:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, § 1
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
If you are citing a state constitution, use the legal state abbreviation, e.g. "Md. Const." for the Maryland Constitution. State constitution article numbers are also given in Roman numerals, but state constitution amendment numbers are given in Arabic numerals.
If you are unable to find specific guidelines from APA on how to cite a particular source, you can create a generic reference. The APA Publication Manual lists certain elements that should be included in a generic reference:
- Who/Author: Who is responsible for the work? This can be a person (author or editor) or an organization.
- When/Date: When was the work published? A year is usually acceptable, but you may need to include the month and day as well. If there is no date, use "n.d."
- What/Title: What is the work called? This is the title of the actual work you are using, not the larger 'container' like a website. If there is no title, you must create one and enclose it in square brackets.
It is important to note that The Bluebook sets the standard for all legal citations, and the style for legal citations in the APA Publication Manual comes directly from The Bluebook. For more in-depth information on citing legal materials, you can refer to The Bluebook directly or consult a law librarian.
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Referencing an amendment
To reference an amendment in the US Constitution using the APA style, follow these steps:
Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to the US Constitution, you can mention it in your text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a part of the US Constitution as evidence to support a point, you should construct a 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 relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms article and amendment are abbreviated to "art." and "amend." respectively, and are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III). Section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
For example, if you were referencing the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the sale of liquor, your citation would look like this:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII
If you are referencing an amendment that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses, like so:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
The Bluebook is the standard reference guide for legal citations, and while the APA Publication Manual does not include specific guidance on citing constitutions, the style for legal citations in the manual comes directly from The Bluebook.
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Referencing a repealed amendment
When referencing a repealed amendment from the US Constitution in APA style, there are specific guidelines to follow. Firstly, understand that the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for all legal citations, and the style for legal citations in the Publication Manual comes directly from it.
Now, when referencing a repealed amendment, you should begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The term "amendment" is always abbreviated to "amend." and is followed by Roman numerals (I, II, III). If the amendment has been repealed, add the year it was repealed in parentheses at the end of the reference. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
In this example, "amend. XVIII" refers to the 18th Amendment, which was repealed in 1933.
Additionally, if you are simply making a passing reference to the US Constitution, you can mention it in your text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence to support your point, you should construct a citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
If you cannot find specific guidelines from APA for a particular citation, you can create a generic reference using the elements listed in the Publication Manual: Who/Author, When/Date, and What/Title.
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Using The Bluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the authoritative guide for legal citations, including the U.S. Constitution. While the APA Style 6th Edition Publication Manual does not specifically cover citing constitutions, the Bluebook provides the following guidelines:
Citing the U.S. Constitution in Text
Cite the U.S. Constitution in APA style by beginning with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. Here is an example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 9.
Citing State Constitutions
When citing state constitutions, use the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const." and the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example:
> Tex. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.
Dates and Amendments
The Bluebook states that no date is needed for parts of the Constitution that are currently in force. However, if you are referring to a repealed or amended section, include the year in parentheses. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
Reference List Entries
APA style requires reference list entries for specific pieces of constitutions. These entries follow a similar format to the in-text citations, including the relevant article, amendment, section, and clause numbers.
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Frequently asked questions
Start with "U.S. Const." followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The terms article, amendment, section, and clause are abbreviated to "art.", "amend.", "§", and "cl." respectively, with article and amendment numbers in Roman numerals and section and clause numbers in Arabic numerals. For example: "U.S. Const. amend. I, § 3, cl. 2".
No, if the part of the Constitution you are citing is still in force, do not include a date. However, if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses.
State constitution article numbers use Roman numerals, but state constitution amendment numbers use Arabic numerals.
If you can't find any guidelines, you can create a generic reference. The APA Publication Manual lists certain elements that should be included in a generic reference, including who is responsible for the work, when it was published, and what the work is called.
