
The Chicago Manual of Style is a widely used standard for academic writing in the humanities. It provides guidelines for formatting and citing sources, including the US Constitution. When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, there are two common approaches: the Notes-Bibliography style and the Author-Date style. The former typically includes the article, section, and clause numbers, while the latter uses a parenthetical citation format. This paragraph aims to provide an introduction to the topic of citing the US Constitution using the Chicago Author-Date style, offering guidance on the correct format and examples for in-text citations and reference lists.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | Chicago Manual 14.230, 290 |
| Author-Date Style First Parenthetical Note | (US Constitution, art. 1, sec. 9) |
| Bibliography | Usually not cited in bibliography |
| Article | III |
| Section | 2 |
| Author name | Inverted (last name first) |
| Author name in bibliography entry | Not inverted |
| Author name in short note | Eastern order (family name first) |
| Author name in multiple works | Repeat the name in each citation |
| Author name in works by two authors | List both in bibliography and in a note |
| Author name in works by more than three authors | List first three, followed by "et al." |
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What You'll Learn

Citing the US Constitution in Chicago style
When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, there are two main styles to be aware of: notes-bibliography style and author-date style. Here's a guide to each:
Notes-Bibliography Style
In the notes-bibliography style, the first footnote or endnote for the US Constitution should be formatted as follows:
> US Constitution, art. II, sec. 1, cl. 3
The bibliography usually does not include the US Constitution. However, if you need to include a reference list, use this format:
> US Constitution, art. I, sec. 9
Author-Date Style
In the author-date style, the in-text citation for the US Constitution should be formatted as follows:
> (US Constitution, art. I, sec. 9)
As with the notes-bibliography style, the US Constitution is usually not included in the reference list for author-date style citations.
Additional Tips
When citing specific articles or sections of the US Constitution, use the same format as the examples above, ensuring that you replace the article and section numbers with the relevant values. For example:
> US Constitution, art. III, sec. 2
Alternatively, you can use the abbreviation "U.S. Const." before the article and section numbers:
> U.S. Const. art. III, § 2
Remember to include a bibliography or reference list in your paper, as per the guidelines provided by the Chicago style citation format.
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Bibliography and notes
When using the Chicago Manual of Style, there are two systems for citing sources: the notes and bibliography system (NB system) and the author-date system. The examples below illustrate how to cite the US Constitution using both of these systems.
Notes and Bibliography System
The NB system is commonly used in the humanities and includes footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. Here is an example of how to cite the US Constitution in a footnote or endnote:
> US Constitution, art. II, sec. 1, cl. 3
The first reference to the US Constitution in a footnote or endnote should include this full citation. Subsequent references can be shortened, for example:
> US Constitution, art. II
The US Constitution is usually not included in the bibliography. However, if you choose to include it, the citation would typically appear as follows:
> US Constitution
Author-Date System
The author-date system is commonly used in the sciences and social sciences. This system includes brief in-text citations and a reference list. Here is an example of an in-text citation for the US Constitution:
> (US Constitution, art. I, sec. 9)
The US Constitution is usually not included in the reference list. However, if you choose to include it, the citation would typically appear as follows:
> US Constitution
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Author-date style
When using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), there are two systems that can be used for citations: the notes and bibliography system, and the author-date system. This answer will focus on the author-date system.
The author-date system is often used by those in the sciences and social sciences, as it places greater emphasis on the date of a source and provides parenthetical citations. The CMS author-date system does not require a place of publication in book citations. For example:
> Yu, Charles. Interior Chinatown. Pantheon Books, 2020.
In this citation, the author's last name comes first, followed by a comma and their first name. The title of the book is in italics, followed by a comma and the publisher, then a comma and the date.
For a source with two authors, list both their names in the citation, with 'and' between them. For example:
> Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today. University of Chicago Press, 2022.
For a source with three or more authors, list up to six authors in a bibliography, and use 'et al.' (meaning 'and others') for any additional authors. For example:
> Dror, Amiel A., Nicole Morozov, and Amani Daoud, et al. "Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness." PLOS ONE 17, no. 2 (2022): 4–5.
For a source with no author listed, use the name of the organisation or website as the author. For example:
> “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, effective November 15, https://policies.google.com/privacy.
When citing a specific part of a source, such as a chapter in a book, include this information in the citation. For example:
> Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Random House, 2008, chap. 6, Kindle.
If you are not including a bibliography in your work and are relying solely on notes for your citations, you must fully cite a work the first time you reference it. Any subsequent references can then use a short-form citation.
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Citing web pages and website content
The Chicago Manual of Style, currently in its 16th edition, outlines two types of referencing styles: Notes and Bibliography, and Author-Date. This answer will focus on the latter style and provide guidance on citing web pages and website content.
When citing web pages and website content in Chicago Author-Date style, it is important to include the following elements: author's full name, title of the article or page, title of the website, date of publication or last modification, and the URL. Here is an example of how to structure your citation:
Author's Last name, First name, "Title of Article or Page," Title of Website, Date published or last modified, URL.
For example: Smith, John, "The History of Silk Road," History's Website, March 6, 2019, https://www.historywebsite.com/silkroad.
If the web page does not have an identified author, simply start the citation with the title of the article or page. In such cases, the first word or initial word/s of the title should be lowercase, unless it is a proper noun. For instance: "history of silk road," History's Website, March 6, 2019, https://www.historywebsite.com/silkroad.
Additionally, if the web page lacks a publication date, you can include the date when the content was last modified or accessed. This information is usually found at the bottom of the web page. Your citation may look like this: Smith, John, "The History of Silk Road," History's Website, no date, accessed March 6, 2019, https://www.historywebsite.com/silkroad.
It is worth noting that Chicago style does not typically recommend including access dates in the citation unless the date of publication or last revision cannot be located. In such cases, you would include the access date in parentheses at the end of the citation.
In certain cases, creating a formal citation for web content may not be necessary. It is often acceptable to simply mention the source in the written portion of your paper. For instance, "The Marco Polo page on History's website, last updated on March 6, 2019, describes his travels along the Silk Road..." However, if you or your professor prefer a more formal citation style, you can certainly include a full Chicago-style reference.
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Citing journal articles
When citing journal articles in Chicago style, there are two systems that can be used: the author-date system and the notes and bibliography system.
Author-Date System
The author-date system is used by scholars in the social sciences and sciences. A Chicago journal citation in the author-date style lists the author, title, journal, volume and issue number, publication date, page range, and DOI. For example:
> Author Last Name, First Name. Year. "Article Title." Journal Name Volume, Issue: Page Range. doi:XX/XXXXXX.
If there are two authors, list both in the reference list and the text. For three or more authors, list up to six authors in the reference list. For more than six authors, list the first three, followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others"). In the text, only the first author's name is used, followed by "et al."
Notes and Bibliography System
The notes and bibliography system is used in the arts, history, and humanities. To cite an online journal article in Chicago notes and bibliography style, list the author’s name, the title of the article, the journal name, volume, issue, and publication date, the page range on which the article appears, and a DOI or URL. For an article accessed in print, follow the same format and simply omit the DOI or URL. For example:
> Author Last Name, First Name, "Article Title," Journal Name Volume, Issue (Year): Page Range, doi:XX/XXXXXX or URL.
Online articles, including those accessed through databases (e.g., Project MUSE or JSTOR), should generally be cited with a DOI, a link designed to permanently and reliably link to the article. The DOI is usually clearly visible when you open a journal article on an academic database and can be found using the database's "cite this article" button or by searching on Crossref.
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Frequently asked questions
The Chicago Manual of Style, in its 17th or 18th edition, is a standard used in much academic writing in the Humanities. It provides guidelines on using footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography to cite sources.
When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, the first footnote or endnote should be: US Constitution, art. #, sec. #, cl. #. It is usually not cited in the bibliography.
In a parenthetical note, you would write: (US Constitution, art. #, sec. #).

























