Malcolm Rivera
The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for citing legal sources, including the U.S. Constitution, in the 6th and 7th editions of its style guide. When referencing the U.S. Constitution in APA format, it is important to follow the Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions and dictates that all citations begin with U.S. Const. followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. Article and amendment numbers are denoted by Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, a parenthetical citation of the first article and section of the U.S. Constitution would appear as (U.S. Const. art. I, § 1). This standard system of citation is used for all legal materials, with further guidance available in the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reference list entry | Abbreviate U.S. Constitution to "U.S. Const." |
| In-text citation | "U.S." or "United States" for the U.S. Constitution |
| Article number | Use Roman numerals: I, II, III |
| Amendment number | Use Roman numerals: I, II, III |
| Section number | Use Arabic numerals: 1, 2, 3 |
| Clause number | Use Arabic numerals: 1, 2, 3 |
| Preamble | Abbreviate to "pmbl." |
| Date | No date is needed unless the amendment has been repealed |
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What You'll Learn
Citing without a reference
When citing the U.S. Constitution in an APA Style paper, you can make a passing reference to it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are citing a specific part of the Constitution to support a point, you should use Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
The U.S. Constitution name is abbreviated to "U.S. Const." in APA citations. When citing an article, use "Art." followed by a Roman numeral (e.g., "Art. I"). Amendment numbers are also written in Roman numerals, while state constitution amendment numbers are written in Arabic numerals. Section numbers are written in Arabic numerals and denoted by "§". For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII" refers to Amendment XVIII of the U.S. Constitution.
If you are citing a source that is not listed in the APA guidelines, you can create a generic reference. The Publication Manual lists certain elements that should be included in a generic reference, such as the author or organization responsible for the work, the date of publication, and the title of the work.
Personal communication, such as letters, memos, emails, interviews, and telephone conversations, does not need to be included in the reference list as it is not recoverable by the reader. However, you should use parenthetical citations in the text to indicate the source, such as the name of the person and the date of communication.
It is important to note that the rules for citing the Constitution differ between APA and MLA formats. Always ensure that you are using the correct citation format and standards to avoid penalties or allegations of plagiarism.
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Referencing articles and amendments
When referencing articles and amendments of the US Constitution in APA style, there are specific 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 follow Bluebook Rule 11 for citing federal and state constitutions.
All citations of articles and amendments of the US Constitution should 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, and are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III). On the other hand, "section" and "clause" are abbreviated as "§" and "cl." respectively, and are written using Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, to cite Article I and Section 3, you would write: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3."
If you are referencing a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, remember to include the year in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)." This format ensures that your citations are clear and consistent, adhering to the APA style guidelines for legal citations.
Additionally, when citing specific sections or clauses within an article or amendment, you can further specify the relevant portion. For instance, if you are citing Clause 2 of Section 3 under Article I, the citation would be: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 2." This format allows for precise referencing of the US Constitution, enabling readers to easily locate the cited portion.
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Using Bluebook Rule 11
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation provides the standard for legal citations, including how to cite the U.S. Constitution in APA Style. If you simply want to mention the U.S. Constitution in passing in your text, you don't need to include a reference list entry. However, if you're using a specific part of the Constitution as evidence, you should follow Bluebook Rule 11 for citing federal and state constitutions.
Here's how to use Bluebook Rule 11 for in-text citations of the U.S. Constitution:
- Begin with "U.S. Const." to indicate the source.
- Add the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. Use "art." for articles, "amend." for amendments, "§" for sections, and "cl." for clauses.
- Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers (e.g., I, II, III).
- Use Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
- If you're citing a current provision of the Constitution that is still in force, omit the date.
Here's an example of an in-text citation:
> "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..." (U.S. Const. pmbl.)
Note that "pmbl." is used to indicate the preamble of the Constitution.
For reference list entries, Bluebook Rule 11 citations will look very similar to the in-text citations. Here's an example:
U.S. Constitution, pmbl.
Remember to refer to the latest edition of The Bluebook for the most up-to-date guidelines on citation format.
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Citing state constitutions
When citing state constitutions in APA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, if you are simply referring to a state constitution in your text without using any specific articles or amendments as evidence, you don't need to include a formal citation. You can just mention the state constitution in your writing without a reference list entry. For example, you can refer to "the Wisconsin Constitution" in your text without providing a citation.
However, if you are citing a specific part of a state constitution as evidence to support your arguments, you should construct the citation using Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions. The basic format for citing a state constitution is as follows:
Abbreviated name of state constitution + art. + article number in Roman numerals + § + section number
For example, if you are citing Article IX, Part IV of the Massachusetts Constitution, your citation would look like this: "Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV". If you are citing a specific clause within an article, you can add it after the section number, using Arabic numerals. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2".
It's important to note that article and amendment numbers are always given in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are given in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). Additionally, when citing a state constitution, use the legal state abbreviation (e.g., "Md. Const." for the Maryland Constitution). You can find a list of state abbreviations for legal references at the Legal Information Institute.
If you are referring to a part of the state constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses after the relevant section. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)". This indicates that the 18th Amendment has been repealed in the year 1933.
By following these guidelines, you can properly cite state constitutions in your academic writing using APA style, ensuring that your sources are accurately referenced and your work maintains academic integrity.
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The generic reference format
Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are citing a specific part of the Constitution as evidence to support your argument, you should follow Bluebook Rule 11, which covers federal and state constitutions.
All citations of the U.S. Constitution should 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 example, a citation for a part of the Constitution that addresses the process of new states joining the union would look like this: "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3."
Additionally, if you are citing a repealed amendment, include the year it was repealed in parentheses, as shown in this example: "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)."
It is important to note that the Bluebook specifies that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, no date should be included in the citation.
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Frequently asked questions
To cite the U.S. Constitution in APA style, begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
If you are making a passing reference to the U.S. 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, you should include a citation using Bluebook Rule 11.
Bluebook Rule 11 states that 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 should be in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers should be in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
To cite a state constitution in APA style, use the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const." and the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example, "Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV".
