
The U.S. Constitution is cited using parenthetical citations only, with no accompanying reference list. When creating a parenthetical citation of the U.S. Constitution, it is important to specify the version cited and use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. 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). If referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, the year of the change should be included in parentheses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| In-text citation | Use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers |
| Reference list entry | U.S. Const. followed by article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant |
| Terms | Always abbreviate terms such as article (art.), amendment (amend.), section (§), and clause (cl.) |
| Numbering | Use Roman numerals (I, II, III) for article and amendment numbers, and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for section and clause numbers |
| Dates | Include the year in parentheses if referring to a repealed or amended part of the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
- Use U.S. Const. followed by article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers
- Abbreviate terms: art. for article, amend. for amendment, § for section, and cl. for clause
- Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers, Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers
- If referring to a repealed or amended part, include the year in parentheses
- When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally just call it the Constitution?

Use U.S. Const. followed by article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers
To create a parenthetical citation for 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.
Article and amendment numbers are written using Roman numerals (e.g., I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3). For example, the citation for Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution would be "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2."
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that is currently in force, do not include a date in the citation. However, if you are referencing a repealed or amended section, include the year of the change in parentheses. For example, if the aforementioned Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 had been amended in 2022, the citation would appear as "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2 (2022)."
When citing a foreign constitution, be sure to cite it by name. For example, to cite Article IX, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the citation would be "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2."
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Abbreviate terms: art. for article, amend. for amendment, § for section, and cl. for clause
When citing the US Constitution in academic writing, it is important to use the correct abbreviations for specific terms. The abbreviations help to succinctly and clearly reference the Constitution in your parenthetical citations. Here are the correct abbreviations and their usage:
When referring to the Articles of the Constitution, use the abbreviation "art." followed by the article number. For example, when citing Article Two, use the abbreviation "Art. II." This abbreviation style is consistent across all Articles of the Constitution.
For Amendments, use "amend." followed by the amendment number. For instance, when referencing the Sixth Amendment, write "Amend. VI." This format remains consistent across all Amendments.
To cite a specific section within an Article or Amendment, use the abbreviation "§" followed by the section number. For example, when citing Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, write "Amend. XIV, § 3."
Lastly, when referring to a clause within a section, use "cl." followed by the clause number. An example would be citing the first clause of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, written as "Amend. XIV, § 3, cl. 1."
By using these standard abbreviations, your parenthetical citations of the Constitution will be clear and consistent, adhering to academic writing conventions.
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Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers, Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers
When creating parenthetical citations for the US Constitution, it is important to format article and amendment numbers using Roman numerals (e.g. I, II, III) and section and clause numbers using Arabic numerals (e.g. 1, 2, 3). This style is consistent with Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
For example, a citation of the US Constitution might begin with "U.S. Const.," followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article" and "amendment" are abbreviated as "art." and "amend.," respectively, while "section" and "clause" are abbreviated as "§" and "cl."
It is worth noting that if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that is currently in force, you should omit the date. However, if you are citing a section that has been repealed or amended, you should include the year of the change in parentheses. This helps provide context and accuracy to your citation.
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If referring to a repealed or amended part, include the year in parentheses
When citing a part of the US Constitution that has been repealed or amended, it is important to include the year that the specific part was repealed or amended in parentheses. This is applicable when using the APA citation style and following Bluebook Rule 11.
For example, if you are referencing a repealed section of the Constitution, your citation should include the year that particular section was repealed. This provides important context for your readers, allowing them to understand that the information being cited reflects a historical perspective rather than a current provision of the law.
Similarly, if you are discussing an amended section of the Constitution, your citation should include the year of the amendment. This ensures that your readers are aware that the information you are citing may differ from the original text, as amendments often modify or update the language and provisions of a document.
It is worth noting that the Bluebook, which sets the standard for legal citations, specifically instructs that for parts of the Constitution that are currently in force, no date should be included in the citation. This is because the date is not necessary when referring to provisions that are still active and have not undergone any changes.
By adhering to these guidelines, your citations will provide clear and accurate information about the specific version or status of the referenced part of the US Constitution.
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When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally just call it the Constitution
When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally refer to it as "the Constitution" without the need for italics or quotation marks. However, when providing parenthetical citations, there are a few specific guidelines to follow.
For MLA style citations, you can simply refer to it as "the Constitution" in your text. In the parenthetical citation, specify the version cited to match the first words of the Works Cited entry. For example, if you are citing "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," your parenthetical citation would include this title.
For APA style, the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard reference guide for legal citations. All citations of the U.S. Constitution should begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. Article and amendment numbers are written in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
Additionally, when citing a part of the Constitution that is currently in force, do not include a date. However, if you are referring to a repealed or amended section, include the year in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XIV (1868)."
According to Turabian's style guide, the U.S. Constitution is cited only through parenthetical citations and should not be included in the reference list. Spell out all terms in the in-text citation, such as "The U.S. Constitution, in Article 1, Section 9, forbids..." or "The First Amendment..."
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Frequently asked questions
All citations of the US Constitution in APA style 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 to "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl." respectively. 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).
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that the part in question was repealed or amended in parentheses.
In the parenthetical citation, you should specify the version cited. Use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers.
No, the US Constitution is cited as parenthetical citations only and should not be included in your reference list.

























