Jonah Patel
The citation style for the constitution depends on the style guide being used for the essay. For example, the Bluebook is a style guide that sets the standard for all legal citations and is used by APA. In contrast, MLA and Chicago have their own unique styles. When citing the US Constitution, it is important to cite specific pieces instead of the whole document. Additionally, the citation should include information about where it was accessed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA, MLA, Chicago, Bluebook |
| Reference list entries | Yes (APA, MLA, and Bluebook), No (Chicago) |
| In-text citations | Yes (APA, MLA, and Bluebook), Yes (Chicago for footnotes) |
| Bibliography | No (Chicago) |
| Abbreviation | U.S. Const. |
| Article | art. |
| Amendment | amend. |
| Section | $ |
| Clause | cl. |
| Preamble | pmbl. |
| Roman numerals | I, II, III |
| Arabic numerals | 1, 2, 3 |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution in APA Style
When citing the US Constitution in APA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to the US 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, you should construct a citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard guide for legal citations, and it provides the following structure for citing the US Constitution:
- Begin with the abbreviation "U.S. Const."
- Follow this with the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers.
- Use "art." for articles, "amend." for amendments, "§" for sections, and "cl." for clauses.
- Article and amendment numbers are given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
- If you are citing a provision that has been amended, include the date it was amended in parentheses, e.g., "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
- For parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date.
- U.S. Const. art. I, § 3
- U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2
It's important to note that the APA Publication Manual also provides some guidance on citing legal sources, including the US Constitution, in Chapter 11 (page 355). However, for more in-depth and up-to-date information, it's recommended to refer to the Bluebook or legal citation guides provided by law libraries and institutions.
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Citing specific pieces of the constitution
APA Style
The APA style of referencing typically follows the guidelines set out in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. According to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, all citations of the U.S. Constitution 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 written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For parts of the Constitution that are currently in force, a date is not included. If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year of the change in parentheses.
MLA Style
In MLA style, when citing the Constitution of the United States, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. Use the abbreviations "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations, and convert any Roman numerals to Arabic numerals. For example, "art. XIV, sec. 5" would become "art. 14, sec. 5".
Chicago Style
When citing specific pieces of the Constitution in Chicago style, follow a similar format to APA and MLA. However, Chicago style places any dates in footnotes rather than in the reference entry. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
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MLA style citations
When citing the United States Constitution in an essay in MLA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, it is important to specify the country of origin, in this case, the United States, if it is not clear from the title. The document can be referred to as “the Constitution” in the body of the text, with a capital "C", without the need for italics or quotation marks.
In terms of in-text citations, the MLA style requires the use of abbreviations such as "art." for "Article", "amend." for "Amendment", and "sec." for "Section". Any Roman numerals used in the original text should be converted to Arabic numerals. For example, instead of writing "Art. XIV, Sec. 3", you would write "art. 14, sec. 3". The in-text citation should also include the title of the document ("Constitution of the United States"), followed by the article and section number being referenced. For instance, your in-text citation may look like this: ("Constitution of the United States," art. 1, sec. 4).
If you are citing a print version of the Constitution, your in-text citation format would include the title, article, and section number, similar to the example above. However, if you are citing an online version, your Works Cited entry should include information about where you accessed it. For example, if you accessed it through a website, you would include the URL at the end of the citation.
Additionally, when citing specific provisions within the Constitution, it is important to cite the individual pieces you are using rather than the entire document. This involves providing the article, section, and clause numbers relevant to the specific provision. For instance, an entry for a provision within the Constitution may appear as follows:
"Constitution of the United States, art. 1, sec. 4."
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Using Bluebook Rule 11
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the go-to guide for legal citation styles, and Rule 11 of this style guide covers how to cite the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.
A citation to a constitution in an essay following Bluebook Rule 11 includes three elements: the abbreviation "U.S." or the state abbreviation (see Table 10 in the Bluebook), followed by "Const." (the Bluebook's abbreviation for "constitution"), and then the relevant 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 as "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).
- U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 1
- U.S. CONST. art. IV, § 1
- U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 2
Note that if you are simply making a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution in your essay, you may not need to include a formal citation. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence to support your argument, you should apply Bluebook Rule 11 to construct the appropriate citation.
Additionally, according to Bluebook Rule 11, if the constitutional provision you are citing is currently in force, you do not need to include a date in your citation.
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Chicago style citations
When citing the US Constitution in an essay using Chicago style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, legal documents, including the Constitution, are typically only cited in footnotes or endnotes, and not in the bibliography. The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) recommends the following format for the first footnote or endnote reference:
> US Constitution, art. 2, sec. 1, cl. 3
Alternatively, you can use the following format, especially when citing a specific amendment:
> US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2
Here, "amend." is short for "amendment," and the number is given in Roman numerals, followed by the section number. This format can also be used for state constitutions, using the abbreviated name of the state, such as "Mass. Const." for the Massachusetts Constitution.
When citing the Constitution in the text of your essay, you can simply refer to it narratively, without the need for a formal citation. For example, you could write, "The US Constitution guarantees certain inalienable rights." However, if you are citing a specific provision that has been amended, you should add the date of amendment in parentheses, as follows:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
This format is specific to Chicago style and would be used as a footnote. Remember, when citing the Constitution, focus on citing the specific sections or amendments you are referring to, rather than the entire document.
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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 abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl." respectively.
In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. In the Works Cited entry, include information about where you accessed the text.
Bluebook Rule 11 covers federal and state constitutions. Use it when citing the Constitution in APA style.
No, according to the Bluebook, do not include a date when citing parts of the Constitution that are currently in force.
Generally, you don't. Instead, cite the specific pieces you are using.
