Malcolm Rivera
The citation style for the US Constitution varies depending on the style guide being used. For example, in APA and MLA styles, specific pieces of the constitution are referenced, rather than the document in its entirety. In Chicago style, legal citations are limited to the text itself, with footnotes used when several legal documents are referenced. For Bluebook citations, the format is the abbreviated state name, followed by Const., the article number, and the section number.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA, MLA, Chicago, Bluebook |
| Constitution | U.S. Const. |
| Article | Art. III, Art. IX, Art. IV |
| Amendment | amend. XVIII, amend. XIV |
| Section | §§ 1–2, § 2 |
| Clause | cl. 2 |
| State | Ariz. Const., Mass. Const., N.C. Const., Hawaii Const. |
| Date amended | (repealed 1933) |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution in APA style
The APA (American Psychological Association) style is a citation style commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences. When citing legal materials in APA style, it is recommended to follow the Bluebook uniform system of citation. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard reference for legal citations and includes specific guidelines for citing court decisions, statutes, and other legal documents.
When citing the US Constitution in APA style, you don't need to create a citation for the entire document. Simply refer to it by name in the text of your paper. For example, you can write "The U.S. Constitution guarantees certain rights and freedoms." or "According to the United States Constitution,...". However, if you are citing a specific article or amendment within the Constitution, you should create a reference list entry and in-text citation as you would for any other source.
The basic structure for citing a specific article or amendment of the US Constitution in APA style is as follows:
In-text citation: (U.S. Const. art. I) or (U.S. Const. amend. I)
Reference list entry: U.S. Const. art. I
In the in-text citation, "U.S. Const." is the abbreviation for the US Constitution, "art." or "amend." indicates whether you are citing an article or amendment, and the Roman numeral that follows represents the number of the article or amendment. In the reference list entry, only the abbreviation and the article or amendment number are included.
It's important to note that the US Constitution uses Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers, while state constitutions use Roman numerals for article numbers and Arabic numerals for amendment numbers. So, when citing a state constitution, the in-text citation and reference list entry would reflect that format: (Md. Const. art. I) or (Md. Const. amend. 1).
Additionally, when citing specific sections or clauses within an article or amendment, you can include those numbers as well:
In-text citation: (U.S. Const. art. I, § 3) or (U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, cl. 2)
Reference list entry: U.S. Const. art. I, § 3
Remember to use the appropriate abbreviations for federal and state constitutions, and always consult the latest edition of the APA Publication Manual or The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation for detailed and updated guidelines on legal citations.
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Citing the US Constitution in MLA style
Citing the US Constitution accurately in MLA style is essential for maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that readers can easily locate the referenced sections. When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, it is important to follow the specific guidelines for referencing legal documents.
Firstly, when citing the US Constitution in MLA style, use the abbreviation "U.S." or the full name "United States" followed by "Const." to indicate that it is the Constitution being cited. For example, "U.S. Const." or "United States Const." can be used as the abbreviated form.
Secondly, when citing a specific article or amendment within the US Constitution in MLA style, use the abbreviations "art." for Article, "amend." for Amendment, and "sec." for Section. Convert any Roman numerals used in the original text to Arabic numerals. For example, instead of writing "U.S. Const. amend. XIV," use "U.S. Const. amend. 14." If you are citing a specific clause within an article or amendment, use the abbreviation "cl." for Clause and provide the clause number in Arabic numerals. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2" refers to Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 of the US Constitution.
Thirdly, in the Works Cited entry, the title of the US Constitution should be in italics. For in-text citations, provide the title of the constitution in quotation marks, followed by the article, amendment, and section numbers. When mentioning the Constitution in the text of your paper, you can simply refer to it as "the Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks.
Finally, when citing the US Constitution in MLA style, include information about where you accessed it. The date of access is optional but recommended for pages that may change frequently or lack a clear publication date. Additionally, when citing a provision that has been amended, add the date it was amended in parentheses, such as "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)."
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your citations of the US Constitution in MLA style are accurate and conform to the standards of academic writing.
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Citing the US Constitution in Chicago style
When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, legal documents, including the US Constitution, are typically only cited in footnotes or within the text of your paper, and not in the bibliography. However, if the US Constitution is included in a secondary publication, such as a book, you would cite the book in the bibliography.
The basic format for citing the US Constitution in Chicago style is as follows:
> U.S. Const. art. [Article number in Roman numerals], § [Section number], cl. [Clause number]
For example, a citation of the first clause of Article Two, Section One, and Clause Three of the US Constitution would look like this:
> U.S. Const. art. II, § 1, cl. 3
When citing an amendment to the US Constitution, use the following format:
> U.S. Const. amend. [Amendment number in Roman numerals], § [Section number]
For example, to cite the second section of the Fourteenth Amendment, you would use the following citation:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2
It is important to note that when citing the US Constitution, you should typically cite the specific sections or amendments you are referring to, rather than the entire document. 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).
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Citing the US Constitution in Bluebook style
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the go-to guide for citing the US Constitution. The citation style for the US Constitution in the Bluebook is as follows:
To cite the entire US Constitution, the standard rule is to simply indicate the constitution in the narrative without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence, a citation is required. All citations of the US Constitution in the Bluebook style begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers.
For example, to cite the 14th Amendment, Section 2, the correct citation would be: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2". The terms "article" and "amendment" are abbreviated as "art." and "amend." respectively, while "section" and "clause" are abbreviated as "§" and "cl.". Article and amendment numbers are written in Roman numerals (I, II, III), whereas section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
Additionally, when citing a provision that has been amended or repealed, indicate the year of the change in parentheses, such as "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)". If the constitutional provision is still in force, there is no need to include a date.
It's worth noting that according to Rule 11 of the Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." when appropriate.
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Citing specific pieces of the US Constitution
When citing specific pieces of the US Constitution, the general style guidelines are adapted from The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. This is the standard for all legal citations and is the style source for the APA Publication Manual.
If you are making a passing reference to the US Constitution in an APA Style paper, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a part of the Constitution as evidence, you should construct the citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
All citations of the US 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. The 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). For state constitutions, use the abbreviated name of the state, e.g., "N.C. Const.", "Ariz. Const.".
When citing a provision that has been amended, include the date it was amended in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)". The Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date. Additionally, according to Rule 11, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id.".
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Frequently asked questions
The answer can be found in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005; www.legalbluebook.com).
The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries, Edited by Edward Conrad Smith, 9th ed., Barnes and Noble Books, 1972.
When using only a handful of legal citations in Chicago style, limit legal citations to the text itself, using narrative to include information that would have gone in the footnotes. When using several legal documents in Chicago style, supplement with footnotes.
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Generally, you don't. When citing the Constitution, cite the specific pieces you are using, instead of the whole document.
