Simone Lawson
The U.S. Constitution has 26 amendments, and if you are citing a specific amendment in an academic paper, you need to follow a certain style depending on the type of paper you are writing. For example, in APA style, you can simply mention the U.S. Constitution in passing without a reference list entry. However, if you are citing a specific part of the Constitution, you should use the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. In this case, the fourth amendment would be written as Amend. IV. The terms article and amendment are abbreviated as art. and amend. and are written in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are written in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style Guide | APA |
| Document Type | The U.S. Constitution |
| Edition | 6th or 7th |
| Reference Type | In-text citation and reference list entry |
| Part of Constitution | Article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers |
| Abbreviation | U.S. Const. |
| Article | Art. (Roman numerals) |
| Amendment | Amend. (Roman numerals) |
| Section | § (Arabic numerals) |
| Clause | cl. (Arabic numerals) |
| Preamble | pmbl. |
| Date | Include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the Fourth Amendment as evidence
When citing the Fourth Amendment as evidence in APA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to the Fourth Amendment without relying on it as evidence, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using the Fourth Amendment as evidence to support a specific point, a formal citation is required.
The standard format for citing the Fourth Amendment as evidence in APA style is as follows: "U.S. Const. amend. IV". Here's a breakdown of this format:
- "U.S. Const.": This is the standard abbreviation for the United States Constitution.
- "amend.": This is the abbreviation for amendment, indicating that you are referring to a specific amendment.
- "IV": This represents the number of the amendment in Roman numerals, as per APA style guidelines.
It's important to note that when citing a specific amendment, you should not include a date unless you are referring to an amendment that has been repealed or amended. In such cases, include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses, as shown in these examples:
- In-text citation: "During prohibition, the sale of liquor was made illegal (U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933)."
- Reference list entry: "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)."
Additionally, if you need further guidance on legal citations, it is recommended to consult "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation," which sets the standard for legal citations, or seek assistance from a law librarian.
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Using Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for all legal citations in APA format. It is recommended to follow this style guide for citing the U.S. Constitution in APA Style.
Article and amendment numbers in the U.S. Constitution are expressed using Roman numerals (I, II, III) rather than Arabic numerals. This is because Roman numerals are used when the numbers are part of established terminology in a specific field.
For example, to cite the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, you would write:
> U.S. Const. amend. IV
The abbreviation "U.S. Const." is followed by the relevant amendment number in Roman numerals.
If you are referring to a specific section or clause within an amendment, you would include those numbers in Arabic numerals. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. IV § 2
This format indicates the Fourth Amendment, Section 2.
Note that if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, you should include the year in parentheses after the citation. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. IV (repealed 1920)
These guidelines apply specifically to the U.S. Constitution. When citing state constitutions, the format differs slightly. State constitution article numbers are also given in Roman numerals, but amendment numbers are expressed using Arabic numerals.
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Referencing an amended part of the Constitution
When referencing an amended part of the Constitution in APA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can 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, a formal citation is required.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the recommended resource for legal citations in APA style. According to this system, 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," "amendment," "section," and "clause" are abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. Article and amendment numbers are denoted by Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, the correct citation format for Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution is "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3."
When referencing an amended part of the Constitution, it is crucial to include the date of the amendment in parentheses. For example, if you are citing the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in 1920, the correct citation would be "U.S. Const. amend. XIX (1920)." Similarly, for an amendment that has been repealed, such as the Eighteenth Amendment, include the year of repeal: "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)."
It is important to note that the APA Publication Manual does not provide specific guidance on citing constitutions. For more detailed information on legal citations, it is recommended to refer to The Bluebook or seek guidance from a law librarian. Additionally, if you are unable to find specific APA guidelines for a particular source, you can create a generic reference using the elements listed in the Publication Manual, including author, date, and title.
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Using Bluebook Rule 11 for federal and state constitutions
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for legal citations, including federal and state constitutions. The APA Publication Manual provides some information on citing legal sources in Chapter 11 (page 355), but for more in-depth information on citing federal and state constitutions, refer to Bluebook Rule 11.
When citing the U.S. Constitution in APA Style, you can simply refer to it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence, you should use Bluebook Rule 11. 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" and "amendment" are abbreviated as "art." and "amend." respectively, while "section" and "clause" are abbreviated as "§" and "cl." 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, to cite the provision of the U.S. Constitution stating that each state shall have two senators, the citation would be: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 1".
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year of the change in parentheses. For example, if you were citing the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which was ratified in 1791, your citation would look like this: "U.S. Const. amend. IV (1791)".
When citing state constitutions, the format is similar but with some differences. You begin with the state abbreviation followed by "Const." State constitution article numbers are given in Roman numerals, but amendment numbers are in Arabic numerals. For example, a citation from the Ohio Constitution would look like this: "Ohio Const. art. I".
It is important to note that the Bluebook is updated periodically, so be sure to refer to the most recent edition for the latest citation guidelines. Additionally, Rule 15 of The Bluebook covers how to cite books, reports, and other non-periodic materials, while Rule 18 covers how to cite online sources and other non-print materials.
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Citing a specific piece of the Constitution
When citing a specific piece of the Constitution in APA style, it is important to follow the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005; www.legalbluebook.com) is the definitive source for legal citation formats. The APA Publication Manual (specifically Chapter 11, page 355) also provides some guidance on citing legal sources, but it does not include specific instructions on citing constitutions.
If you are simply making a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can do so 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 for citing federal and state constitutions.
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," "amendment," "section," and "clause" are abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. Preamble is abbreviated as "pmbl." Article and amendment numbers are denoted by Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, the correct citation for the Fourth Amendment would be "U.S. Const. amend. IV."
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year of the change in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)."
In the reference list and in-text citations, use the abbreviation "U.S. Const." For state constitutions, use the legal state abbreviation, such as "Md. Const." for the Maryland Constitution. In the narrative, you can use either "U.S." or "United States" for the U.S. Constitution and spell out the name of the state for a state constitution, such as "the Wisconsin Constitution."
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Frequently asked questions
You can cite the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in APA style by following this format: U.S. Const. amend. IV.
If you want to make a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can simply mention it in the text without a reference list entry.
If you are citing a repealed amendment, include the year it was repealed in parentheses, for example: U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
