Citing The Constitution: Chicago Turabian Style

how to cite the constitution in chicago turabian

The US Constitution is cited differently in various formatting styles. This paragraph will outline how to cite the US Constitution in Chicago Turabian style. It is important to note that the US Constitution does not need to be included in the bibliography and should only be cited in notes.

Characteristics Values
Where to cite Only in notes, not in the bibliography or reference list
What to include Article or amendment, section, and if relevant, clause
Spelling out terms Spell out all terms in the in-text citation, for example, "The U.S. Constitution, in article 1, section 9, forbids..." or "The First Amendment..."

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The US Constitution does not need to be included in the bibliography

When using the Chicago/Turabian style, the US Constitution does not need to be included in the bibliography. This is a general rule that applies to sources such as newspaper articles, abstracts, brief reports, interviews, personal communications, blogs, social media posts, and legal cases.

The US Constitution should be cited in notes, and it is important to include the article or amendment, section, and clause if relevant. This is because the US Constitution is considered a primary text that is easily accessible to readers and does not require a full reference.

"US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2."

Note that the "US" in "US Constitution" is spelled out, and the amendment, article, section, and clause numbers are abbreviated. This format allows for concise in-text citations that direct readers to the specific section of the US Constitution being referenced.

In addition to the US Constitution, other government documents, such as federal, state, and local laws and reports, may also be cited in notes without being included in the bibliography. These documents are considered public information and are readily available through official government sources.

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Cite in-text with article/amendment, section, and clause

When citing the US Constitution in Chicago Turabian style, it should only be cited in notes and not included in the bibliography or reference list.

To cite the US Constitution in-text with article/amendment, section, and clause, follow this format:

> (US Constitution, art. [X], sec. [X], cl. [X])

For example:

> (US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2)

Or:

> The U.S. Constitution, in article 1, section 9, forbids...

Alternatively, you can cite the US Constitution in a parenthetical note:

> (US Constitution, art. 1, sec. 9)

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US Constitution example citation: amend. XIV, sec. 2

The Chicago Manual of Style, also known as Chicago/Turabian style, has specific guidelines for citing legal and government documents, including the US Constitution. The US Constitution is a foundational text and, as such, is not included in the bibliography. Instead, it is cited in notes or parenthetical citations.

When citing the US Constitution in Chicago/Turabian style, you would include the amendment number, article, and section, as well as the clause if relevant. Here is an example citation for Amendment XIV, Section 2, of the US Constitution in Chicago/Turabian style:

"US Const. amend. XIV, sec. 2."

Or, in prose:

"The US Constitution guarantees certain rights to citizens, as outlined in Amendment XIV, Section 2, which states that 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside' (US Const. amend. XIV, sec. 2)."

Note that "US Const." is the standard abbreviation for the US Constitution in legal citations. In Chicago/Turabian style, you would also include relevant information such as the date or specific provisions being referenced if they add clarity to your citation.

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US Constitution in parenthetical citation: (US Constitution, art. 1, sec. 9)

The Chicago Manual of Style, also known as Chicago Turabian Style, has specific guidelines for citing legal documents, including the US Constitution. While the focus of this response is on parenthetical citations, it is worth noting that the US Constitution is not included in the bibliography but is cited in the notes.

When citing the US Constitution in parenthetical citations, the format is as follows: (US Constitution, art. #, sec. #). The abbreviations "art." for "Article", "amend." for "Amendment", and "sec." for "Section" are used. Article and amendment numbers are written in Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.), while section and clause numbers are written in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.).

For example, when referring to Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution, which addresses the rights of those accused of crimes and includes the controversial slave trade provision, the parenthetical citation would be: (US Constitution, art. 1, sec. 9).

  • (US Constitution, art. 2, sec. 2)
  • (US Constitution, amend. 14, sec. 1)
  • (US Constitution, art. 5, sec. 3, cl. 2)

Note that in the text of your paper, you can simply refer to it as "the Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks. However, in the parenthetical citation, it is important to use the full term "US Constitution" and include the specific article, amendment, section, and clause numbers as relevant.

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Cite specific provisions by section and in statues by page

When citing the US Constitution in Chicago Turabian style, it is important to note that it should only be cited in notes and not in the bibliography. The US Constitution is cited as parenthetical citations only, and in the text, all terms should be spelled out. For example, "The U.S. Constitution, in Article 1, Section 9, forbids..." or "The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states...".

When citing specific provisions, include the article or amendment, section, and if relevant, the clause. For example, "The U.S. Constitution, 1st Amend. § 9, cl. 2". Here, "§" represents the section symbol, which should be used to precede section numbers.

Statutes are bills or resolutions that have been passed into law and are first published separately and then collected in annual bound volumes of the United States Statutes at Large. They are then incorporated into the United States Code. When citing statutes, refer to the United States Statutes, United States Code, or both. Cite statutes in the notes only and not in the bibliography. For example, "34 U.S. Stat. 123 (1906) (codified at 18 U.S.C. § 1234)".

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and Turabian's Manual for Writers offer two methods for citing sources: the Author-Date System and the Notes-Bibliography (NB) System. The Author-Date System uses parenthetical citations in the text to reference the source's author and publication date. On the other hand, the Notes-Bibliography System, also known as the notes and bibliography style, involves numbered footnotes or endnotes corresponding to superscript numbers in the text. A separate bibliography lists the sources. This system is more common in the humanities, including literature, history, and the arts.

Frequently asked questions

No, the US Constitution does not need to be included in the bibliography and should only be cited in notes.

Cite the article or amendment, section, and if relevant, the clause. For example: US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2.

The format for citing the US Constitution in Chicago/Turabian style is as follows: US Constitution, art. [number], sec. [number], cl. [number].

For more information on citing sources in Chicago/Turabian style, refer to the Turabian manual, section 16.2.3 (p. 160) and Turabian's A Manual For Writers figure A.11 in the appendix.

To cite an amendment to the US Constitution in Chicago/Turabian style, include the amendment number, section, and clause (if relevant). For example: US Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2.

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