Jonah Patel
The Chicago Manual of Style provides clear guidelines for citing legal documents, including the US Constitution. When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, the recommended format is U.S. Constitution, amend. [number], sec. [number]. For example, U.S. Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2. It's important to note that legal documents, statutes, and bills or resolutions are typically only cited in footnotes or within the text of a paper, and they are generally not included in the bibliography. However, if the document is referenced within a secondary source, such as a book, the book itself would be cited in the bibliography. Additionally, when citing congressional documents, it is essential to include specific details such as the Congress number, session information, and report number.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | Chicago Manual of Style |
| Type of document | Legal document |
| Where to cite | Footnotes or within the text of your paper |
| Where not to cite | Bibliography (unless included in a secondary publication) |
| What to include | Full information of the reference the first time |
| What to include | Subsequent citations should be shortened |
| What to include | For congressional documents, include the number of Congress and the session when the hearing was held |
| What to include | For congressional documents, include the resolution number and the report number |
| What to include | The name of the national government, followed by the agency |
| What not to include | Access dates in the citation |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution
The Chicago Manual of Style outlines specific guidelines for citing the US Constitution. When referencing the US Constitution in Chicago style, there are a few key formats to follow.
Firstly, it is important to note that legal documents, including the US Constitution, are typically cited in footnotes or within the text of a paper, rather than in a bibliography. However, if the constitution is included in a secondary publication, such as a book, the citation would be for that publication following the standard book citation format.
When citing the US Constitution directly, the format is as follows:
> US Constitution, art. [Article number], sec. [Section number], cl. [Clause number]
For example:
> US Constitution, art. 2, sec. 1, cl. 3
When citing specific amendments to the US Constitution, the format is structured as:
> US Constitution, amend. [Amendment number], sec. [Section number]
An example of this in practice is:
> US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2
This format includes the amendment number followed by the section number.
Additionally, when citing congressional documents, it is important to include the Congress number, session information, and any relevant report numbers. This ensures proper attribution and allows for accurate source verification.
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Amendments to the Constitution
The process of amending the US Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the United States Constitution. Amendments must be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This can be done through one of two methods:
- The US Congress can propose and send an amendment to the states for ratification when a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives deem it necessary.
- A national convention can be called by Congress for this purpose, upon application by the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (34 since 1959). However, this option has never been used.
To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 since 1959). This can be done through the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified in 1933, is the only amendment to be ratified through the latter method. It also stands as the only amendment to explicitly repeal an earlier one, the Eighteenth Amendment (ratified in 1919), which established the prohibition of alcohol.
Since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789, 33 amendments have been proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Twenty-seven of these amendments have been successfully ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
When citing an amendment to the US Constitution in Chicago Manual Style, the format is as follows:
> U.S. Constitution, amend. #, sec. #
For example, to cite the Fourteenth Amendment, Second Section, you would write:
> U.S. Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2
It is important to note that legal documents, statutes, bills, and resolutions are typically only cited in footnotes or within the text of a paper, and not in the bibliography. However, if the document is included in a secondary publication such as a book, the book would be cited in the bibliography.
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Citing congressional documents
When citing congressional documents in the Chicago Manual of Style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, legal documents, statutes, bills, and resolutions are typically cited in footnotes or within the text of your paper, rather than in the bibliography. However, if the document is included in a secondary publication, such as a book, you would cite the book in the bibliography.
For congressional documents, it is important to include specific information in your citation. Start by providing the number of the Congress and the session during which the hearing was held or the resolution was passed. Include any relevant report numbers as well. The standard format for citing a congressional document in Chicago style is as follows:
> U.S. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on [Committee Name]. Title of Document. [Number]th Cong., [Session] sess., H. Rep. [Report Number].
> U.S. Constitution. amend. XIV, sec. 2.
Additionally, when citing Acts of Congress, include the year and chapter number. Here is an example:
> Name of Act, Year, c. [Chapter Number] (Jurisdiction).
When using online sources, it is recommended to use official and authorized government sources. Include the URL and access date in your citation. Remember that Chicago style generally advises against including access dates unless no publication date or last revision date can be located.
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Citing statutes
When citing statutes in Chicago style, it is important to note that legal documents, including statutes, are only cited in the footnotes or within the text of your paper. They are typically not included in the bibliography. However, if the statute is included in a secondary publication, such as a book, you would then cite that book in the bibliography.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, provides specific guidelines for citing statutes. Firstly, identify the name of the statute and the legislative body that enacted it. The basic structure for citing a statute is as follows:
> Name of Statute, vol#. Stat. page# (year).
For example:
> Chinese Exclusion Act, 22 Stat. 58 (1882).
If the statute is part of a larger act or code, include the relevant section or paragraph number:
> Name of Statute, vol#. Act/Code §section/paragraph# (year).
For example, if you were citing a specific section of the US Code:
> Homeland Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. §101 (2012).
When citing statutes, it is important to include the official name of the statute, as well as the volume number and page number where it can be found in the statutory compilation. The year indicates when the statute was enacted or last revised.
Additionally, when citing congressional documents, be sure to include the number of the Congress, the session number, and any relevant report numbers. This information helps identify the specific context and version of the statute.
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Citing bills and resolutions
When citing bills and resolutions using the Chicago Manual of Style, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Firstly, bills and resolutions are typically only cited in footnotes or within the text of your paper, and not in the bibliography. The only exception to this rule is if the bill or resolution is included in a secondary publication, such as a book, in which case you would cite the secondary source in the bibliography.
The specific format for citing bills and resolutions can vary depending on the style guide you are using. According to the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, the following information is generally included when citing bills:
- Name of the bill or resolution
- Volume number
- Reporter name
- Series number
- Year
- URL (if accessed online)
"Name of Bill, vol. # Reporter Name series # (year), url"
For example:
"Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2012)"
It is important to note that when citing congressional documents, you should include the number of the Congress and the session when the resolution was passed, as well as the report number. For example:
"U.S. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. 112th Cong., 2d sess., H. Rep. 112-445. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg50208/html/CHRG-111hhrg50208.htm"
Additionally, when citing laws of other countries, it is sufficient to include in-text citations and footnotes with the following information:
- Title of the Act
- Year
- Chapter number
- Jurisdiction
- URL (if accessed online)
For example:
"Planning and Development Heritage and Broadcasting Act, 2000 to 2020, c. 2 (Ireland). http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/act/11/enacted/en/print.html"
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Frequently asked questions
US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2.
US Constitution, art. 2, sec. 1, cl. 3.
No, legal documents are only cited in the footnotes or within the text of your paper. They are not included in the bibliography unless they are included in a secondary publication such as a book, in which case the book is cited in the bibliography.
Be sure to include the number of the Congress and the session when the hearing was held or resolution was passed, as well as the report number. US government documents are typically published by the Government Printing Office. For example: U.S. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. 112th Cong., 2d sess., H. Rep. 112-445.
