Jonah Patel
The U.S. Constitution is a foundational document that outlines the principles and structure of the United States government. When citing the Constitution, it is important to follow specific guidelines to ensure accuracy and consistency. While the entire Constitution can be referenced without a formal citation, citing a specific part requires the use of article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. This includes the use of Roman numerals for articles and amendments, and Arabic numerals for sections and clauses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Article | art. [use Roman numerals: I, II, III] |
| Amendment | amend. [use Roman numerals: I, II, III] |
| Section | § [use Arabic numbers: 1, 2, 3] |
| Clause | cl. [use Arabic numbers: 1, 2, 3] |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the U.S. Constitution as a whole
If you wish to cite the U.S. Constitution as a whole, you may simply mention it in your paper without including a citation in the references list. However, if you are citing a specific part of the Constitution, you should use the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers.
The terms article, amendment, section, and clause are always abbreviated as 'art.', 'amend.', '§', and 'cl.', respectively. Preamble is abbreviated to '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, if you were citing the first article of the Constitution, you would write: 'U.S. Const. art. I'. If you were citing the first clause of the first article, you would write: 'U.S. Const. art. I, cl. 1'.
The Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently 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 However, if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses.
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Citing a part of the Constitution
When citing a part of the Constitution, you should use the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example, if you are citing the first part of the Constitution, you would use 'art. I' to indicate that you are referring to Article I. The terms article, amendment, and preamble are always abbreviated to 'art.', 'amend.', and 'pmbl.', 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).
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 3
Note that 'U.S. Const.' indicates that you are citing the U.S. Constitution, 'art.' indicates that you are referring to an article, 'I' is the Roman numeral for one, '§' indicates a section, and '3' is the Arabic numeral for the third section.
If you are citing the Constitution in MLA style, the format is slightly different. Here is an example:
> US Const art. I, § 3
Note that in MLA style, you do not need to include a period after 'Const'.
Additionally, if you are citing a specific version of the Constitution, such as a book edition, you should specify the version in your citation. For example, if you are citing "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," your citation would look like this:
> (art. 1, sec. 4) ("The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription")
Finally, if you are citing a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2 (1868)
This indicates that the citation is referring to the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which was adopted in 1868.
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Using Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers
When citing the first part of the American Constitution, you should use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers.
The citation should 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 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. art. I, § 3'.
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses.
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Using Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers
When citing the first part of the American Constitution, it is important to use the correct style and format. The standard format for citing the U.S. Constitution is to begin with "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 followed by Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.). On the other hand, section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.).
For example, to cite the first article of the Constitution, you would write "U.S. Const. art. I". If you are citing a specific section within that article, you would add the section number in Arabic numerals, like so: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 1".
It is worth noting that the Bluebook, a widely used legal citation guide, states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, no date is required. However, if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the change was made in parentheses.
Additionally, when citing the Constitution in MLA style, the general format remains similar. You would use "US Const" followed by the amendment, section, article, or clause number. For example, "US Const art. I, § 1".
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Citing the Constitution in MLA
To cite the first part of the American Constitution in MLA, you should begin with 'US Const' to signal to the reader that you are citing the Constitution. This is followed by a period to show that it's an abbreviation. Then, you should include the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant.
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, if you were citing the first article of the Constitution, you would write:
> US Const. art. I.
If you are citing a specific section within that article, you would add the section number in Arabic numerals:
> US Const. art. I, § 1.
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses. For example:
> US Const. art. I, § 1 (1789).
The Constitution has also been published in book form in various editions. To cite one of these, write the title of the book in italics, and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title. For example:
> *The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription*, ed. John Doe (New York: Publisher, 2023), art. 1, sec. 4.
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Frequently asked questions
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 'art.', 'amend.', '§,' and 'cl.', respectively.
You may simply mention it in your paper without including a citation in the references list.
You’ll need to know the amendment, section, article, or clause for your citation. In order to cite amendments, use Roman numerals. Alternatively, to cite sections, use Arabic numerals. After you finish your quote or paraphrase, open your parenthesis. Next, write "US Const" to signal to the reader that you're citing the Constitution.
