Isabella Carter
The American Psychological Association's Publication Manual (7th edition) provides guidelines on how to cite different sources in APA style. While the manual does not specifically mention citing the U.S. Constitution, it recommends following the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials. This includes citing the U.S. Constitution with the abbreviation U.S. Const. followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example, to cite the 13th Amendment, the narrative citation would be Amendment XIII to the U.S. Constitution. This citation style is also applicable to state constitutions, using the appropriate state abbreviation, such as In. Const. for Indiana's Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA 7th Edition |
| Type of document | Legal materials |
| Reference style | Legal reference style |
| Page numbers | Double-spaced |
| Indentation | Hanging indent |
| Jurisdiction | Precise jurisdiction of the court writing the decision (e.g. Supreme Court, New York Court of Appeals) |
| Decision date | Include the date of the decision in parentheses |
| URL | Include the URL from which case information was retrieved (optional) |
| Page number | Provide only the first page number |
| Case name | Italicize the case name in the in-text citation |
| Constitution | Abbreviate the US Constitution as U.S. Const. |
| Article | Abbreviate as art. and use Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Amendment | Abbreviate as amend. and use Roman numerals (I, II, III) |
| Section | Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Clause | Abbreviate as cl. and use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) |
| Preamble | Abbreviate as pmbl. |
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What You'll Learn
Citing specific articles and amendments
When citing specific articles and amendments of the US Constitution in APA 7th edition style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, it is important to abbreviate "United States Constitution" as "U.S. Const." in both the reference list and parenthetical citations. The article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers should then be included, using appropriate abbreviations and numeral styles.
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 3.
In this example, "art." is the abbreviation for "article," and "I" is the Roman numeral representing the article number. "§" denotes "section," and "3" is the Arabic numeral for the section number.
Now, here is an example of how to cite an amendment:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIX
Similarly, "amend." is the abbreviation for "amendment," and "XIX" is the Roman numeral for the amendment number.
It is important to note that 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:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
This indicates that the eighteenth amendment was repealed in 1933.
The Bluebook, a style guide for legal citations, is a valuable resource for further guidance on citing legal materials, including the US Constitution. Additionally, the APA Publication Manual provides some information on citing legal sources, particularly in Chapter 11.
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Referencing the US Constitution
The APA recommends following the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, provides some information on citing legal sources in Chapter 11 (pages 355 and 365-368). For more in-depth information on citing legal materials, see The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
If you are citing the US Constitution as a whole, you do not need to create a citation. Simply refer to the constitution in the text by name. The US Constitution should be abbreviated in reference lists and parentheticals to U.S. Const. In the narrative, spell out "U.S." or "United States." Follow the constitution's numbering pattern: use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers, and Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers. For example:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 3
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
When citing a particular article or amendment, create reference list entries and in-text citations as normal. If you are trying to cite a source that is not listed, and you cannot find guidelines from APA elsewhere, you can create a generic reference. The Publication Manual lists certain elements that should be included in a generic reference:
- Who/Author: Who is responsible for this work? This can be a person (author or editor) or an organisation. If there is no author or editor, follow the guidelines discussed in No Author.
- When/Date: When was this work published? A year is usually acceptable, although you may need to include a month and day. If there is no date, use "n.d."
- What/Title: What is this work called? This is the title of the actual work you are using, not necessarily a larger 'container' like a website. If there is no title, you must create one and enclose it in square brackets. You may also wish to clarify the format of the item in square brackets, after the title.
When formatting your reference list, remember to put a hanging indent and double-space the entire list.
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Citing state constitutions
For example, the Maryland Constitution would be abbreviated as "Md. Const." in the reference list and parenthetical citations, and "Maryland" would be spelled out in the narrative. The citation would look like this:
Parenthetical: (Md. Const. art. I, § 1, cl. 2)
Narrative: Article I, Section 1, Clause 2, of the Maryland Constitution
Amendments to state constitutions are cited in the same way as amendments to the U.S. Constitution. For example:
Parenthetical: (Md. Const. amend. IV, § 3)
Narrative: Amendment IV, Section 3, of the Maryland Constitution
No date is needed in the reference unless the amendment has been repealed.
For further guidance on legal citations, it is recommended to consult The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation or a local law librarian.
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Bluebook citation style
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the go-to source for legal citation styles, and the APA Publication Manual bases its legal citation style on it. The Bluebook is the standard reference for legal citations and is used in all disciplines.
When citing the US Constitution in Bluebook style, the basic format is:
> U.S. Const. [amend./art.] [Amendment/Article number in Roman numerals] § [Section number in Arabic numerals] [cl. Clause number in Arabic numerals]
For example, the citation for the First Amendment would be:
> U.S. Const. amend. I, § 1
If you are citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name of the state as indicated in Bluebook table T10. For example, for Indiana's Constitution, you would use "In. Const." and follow the same format as above.
The Bluebook also provides guidance on citing specific legal documents, such as statutes, bills, and court decisions. For example, when citing federal statutes, you can include public law numbers in the reference list entry instead of the U.S.C. publication information. For state statutes, check the Bluebook as some states use chapter or article numbers instead of sections.
Additionally, the Bluebook contains all the necessary abbreviations and symbols for legal citations.
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APA 7th Edition style guide
The APA 7th Edition Style Guide outlines the correct format for citing sources in academic writing. This guide will focus on how to cite the constitution according to APA 7th edition guidelines.
Firstly, it is important to note that the APA recommends following the Bluebook uniform system of citation for legal materials, including court cases and laws. The Bluebook is the standard reference guide for legal citations and provides specific rules for citing federal and state constitutions.
When referencing the U.S. Constitution, you should abbreviate it as "U.S. Const." in your reference list and parentheticals. For state constitutions, use the appropriate legal state abbreviation, such as "In. Const." for Indiana's Constitution. In the body of your text, spell out "United States" or use the abbreviation "U.S." For state constitutions, spell out the state name in full.
If you are citing a specific part of the constitution, such as an article or amendment, include the relevant numbers or clauses. For articles and amendments, use Roman numerals (e.g., "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3" or "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII"). For clause numbers, use Arabic numerals (e.g., "U.S. Const. cl. 3").
Additionally, when creating in-text citations for court cases, follow this format: (Name v. Name, Year). For example, (Brown v. Board of Educ., 1954). Note that the title of the court case is italicized in the in-text citation but not in the reference list entry.
For unpublished manuscripts or informal publications, such as lecture notes or course packets, follow these guidelines: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [Description of material]. Website. URL. For example: Author, A. A. (2022). The U.S. Constitution [Lecture notes]. University of X. http://www.universityx.edu/lecturenotes.
Remember to double-space your reference list and use a hanging indent for a uniform presentation.
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Frequently asked questions
You do not need to create a citation for the entire US Constitution. Simply refer to the constitution in the text by name. If you are citing a part of the Constitution, such as an article or amendment, create a reference list entry and in-text citation as you normally would, starting with the abbreviation "U.S. Const." followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as applicable.
If you cannot find the source in the APA guidelines, you can create a generic reference. The APA Publication Manual lists certain elements that should be included in a generic reference: Who/Author, When/Date, and What/Title.
You can refer to Chapter 11 of the APA Publication Manual (pages 314, 355-368) for more information on citing legal sources. You can also refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, which is the standard legal citation style used across all disciplines.
