Isabella Carter
The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for citing constitutional amendments in the APA format. The APA recommends following the Bluebook's uniform system of citation for legal materials, which includes citing federal and state constitutions. When citing a constitutional amendment in APA format, it is essential to follow the Bluebook Rule 11, which outlines the specific format for such citations. This involves using specific abbreviations and number styles for different elements of the citation, such as the article, amendment, section, and clause.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Format | APA Style |
| Edition | 6th or 7th |
| Referencing Style | Bluebook Rule 11 |
| Abbreviation | U.S. Const. |
| Article Number | In Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Amendment Number | In Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Section Number | In Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Clause Number | In Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Preamble | pmbl. |
| Date | Include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses |
| Author | Who is responsible for the work |
| Title | The title of the work being referenced |
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What You'll Learn
Citing specific amendments
To cite specific amendments in APA format, you should follow Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions. All citations of the U.S. Constitution begin with "U.S. Const.," followed by the relevant amendment number, which should be in Roman numerals. For example, the fourteenth amendment would be written as "U.S. Const. amend. XIV."
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, you should include the year of the change in parentheses. For example, if you were citing the fourteenth amendment after a repeal, it would look like this: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV (year)."
It is important to note that the Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, no date should be included.
In the narrative, you can use either "U.S." or "United States" for the U.S. Constitution. If you are citing a state constitution, spell out the name of the state. For example, "the Wisconsin Constitution."
If you are creating a generic reference because you cannot find specific guidelines from APA, you can follow the Publication Manual's recommendations. These include listing the author or organization responsible for the work, the date or year of publication, and the title of the work.
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Referencing the constitution in text
When referencing the U.S. Constitution in APA format, there are specific guidelines to follow. Firstly, distinguish between a passing reference and a citation used as evidence. For a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can simply mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence to support your argument, you should follow Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
The basic structure of a citation for the U.S. Constitution is as follows: "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article," "amendment," "section," and "clause" are abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. The article and amendment numbers are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while the section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2" refers to Amendment XIV, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.
It is important to note that if you are referencing a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, you should include the year of the change in parentheses. Additionally, for parts of the Constitution that are currently in force, do not include a date.
If you are citing a state constitution, the format is similar. Use the abbreviated name of the state followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. State constitution article numbers are also in Roman numerals, but amendment numbers are in Arabic numerals. For example, "Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV" refers to Article IX, Part IV of the Massachusetts Constitution.
Remember, the APA recommends following the Bluebook's uniform system of citation for legal materials. If you need further guidance, you can refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation or consult a legal librarian.
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Using Bluebook Rule 11
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the style guide to follow when citing legal sources in APA format. The APA Publication Manual provides some information on citing legal sources in Chapter 11 (page 355).
When using Bluebook Rule 11 to cite a constitutional amendment, begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the amendment number. The word "amendment" should be abbreviated to "amend." and written in Roman numerals. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. I".
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)". Alternatively, you can cite the repealing/amending provision in full: "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. Const. amend. XXI".
If you are citing a specific section or clause within an amendment, include the section and/or clause number in Arabic numerals. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. I, § 3, cl. 1". If the section or clause has been amended, include the year: "U.S. Const. amend. I, § 3, cl. 1 (amended 1913)".
Remember that the Bluebook states not to include a date for parts of the Constitution that are currently in force. Also, note that only the words in Table 10 and Table 16 should be abbreviated when the citation is used in a footnote.
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Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for all legal citations, including the US Constitution. The APA recommends following the Bluebook's system for citing legal materials.
When citing the US Constitution in APA format, you should begin with the abbreviation "U.S. Const.", followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The terms article and amendment are always abbreviated as "art." and "amend." respectively, and are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, "U.S. Const. amend. V" refers to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution.
The use of Roman numerals in legal documents enhances readability and organisation. Unlike Arabic numerals, Roman numerals do not use place values or zero, eliminating the possibility of misunderstanding or misinterpretation when numbering sections within a document. This ensures a clear and distinct structure with easily distinguishable section numbers, facilitating a smoother reading experience for legal professionals.
However, it is important to note that Roman numerals can also present challenges. They can be difficult to read for those unfamiliar with them, impacting the clarity and accessibility of legal documents. To mitigate this, a brief explanation of the Roman numeral system can be included at the beginning of the document, allowing readers to easily reference the basics and follow along more effectively.
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Citing a generic reference
The APA recommends following the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the go-to source for the standard format of all legal citations. The Publication Manual of the APA also includes examples of legal citation, but citing the constitution is not among them.
When citing a generic reference in APA format, you can follow the below guidelines:
- If there is no date on the source, use the abbreviation "n.d." (for "no date").
- If the date is known but not recorded on the document, use "ca." (for "circa") before the date (e.g., "ca. 2023").
- If the resource has no title, skip the title and provide a concise description in square brackets.
- The description of the material should be accurate and succinct, giving the reader a clear idea of the content.
- If the publisher is the same as the author, omit the publisher's name from the reference.
- For print sources or URLs that are inaccessible to those outside the organisation, omit the URL.
Note that the above guidelines are based on the 7th Edition of the APA Style Manual.
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Frequently asked questions
The APA recommends following the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials. Begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the amendment number in Roman numerals and the section number in Arabic numerals. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
If you are making a passing reference to the US Constitution, you can simply mention it in the text without a reference list entry.
If you are referring to a repealed or amended part of the Constitution, include the year it was repealed or amended in parentheses.
