Eleanor Finch
Citing the US Constitution can be a little complicated, as the style will differ depending on the format in which you accessed it and the referencing style you are using. The US Constitution is a special case because it is a common document that can be found in a variety of places. Therefore, you don't need as much information as you might need for other sources. Generally, you should cite specific pieces of the Constitution rather than the whole document. When citing the Constitution, you should use article and amendment numbers in Roman numerals and section and clause numbers in Arabic numerals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | MLA, APA, or Chicago |
| Citing the whole document | Generally not cited. Instead, cite specific pieces |
| Article and amendment numbers | Given in Roman numerals |
| Section and clause numbers | Given in Arabic numerals |
| State constitutions | Use the abbreviated name of the state |
| Provision amended | Add the date it was amended in parentheses |
| Where accessed | List where the Constitution was accessed in the Works Cited |
| In-text citations | Use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers |
| Book form | Write the title of the book in italics and list any editors, annotators, or contributors |
| Footnotes | Chicago style uses footnotes instead of in-text citations |
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What You'll Learn
Citing specific pieces of the constitution
When citing specific pieces of the US Constitution, the general rule is to cite the specific sections you are using instead of the whole document. The style of citation depends on the referencing style used in your work, be it APA, MLA, or Chicago style.
For APA and MLA styles, both require reference list entries and in-text citations for specific pieces of constitutions. The formatting is generally the same for both reference list entries and in-text citations. For example, in APA and MLA styles, Article III, sections 1 and 2 of the US Constitution would be cited as: "U.S. Const. art. III, §§ 1–2". 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 citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name of the state, for example, "N.C. Const." or "Ariz. Const.". When citing a provision that has been amended or repealed, add the date in parentheses, for example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
In MLA style, if you are citing an online version of the constitution, include information about where you accessed it in the Works Cited entry. In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. If you are citing a book version of the constitution, write the title of the book in italics and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title. Generally, when mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can simply call it the "Constitution" without italicization or quotation marks.
In APA style, if you are making a passing reference to the Constitution, 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, and preamble is abbreviated as "pmbl.". The Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date.
For Chicago style, when using only a handful of legal citations, limit legal citations to the text itself, using the narrative to include information. However, when using several legal documents, supplement with footnotes. Chicago style requires only footnote citations for legal documents, and they do not need to be listed in the bibliography.
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MLA style Works Cited entry
When citing the United States Constitution in MLA style, it is crucial to include specific details in the Works Cited entry. Firstly, the title of the document, "Constitution," should be included, followed by the article and section numbers being referenced. It is important to use the abbreviations "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) and to convert any Roman numerals to Arabic numerals (e.g., "XIV" becomes "14"). For example, the citation might read: ("Constitution, art. 1, sec. 4).
Additionally, the publication details of the specific version of the Constitution you accessed should be provided. If you are citing an online version, include information about where you accessed it. For example, a citation for an online version might appear as follows:
"The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," National Archives, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 28 Feb. 2017, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript.
Alternatively, if you are citing a print version, simply include the title of the book in italics, followed by any editors or other main contributors. For example:
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription (print version).
It is worth noting that when referring to the Constitution within the body of your text, you should always capitalize the "C" in "Constitution." Additionally, you can generally refer to it as "the Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks.
By following these guidelines, you can properly cite the United States Constitution in MLA style, ensuring academic integrity and providing valuable references for your work.
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Chicago style footnotes
When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, you should only use footnotes and not list the document in the bibliography.
For a government document, if there is a personal author, cite their name. If there is no author, start the citation with the title of the document. If the author is a government agency, start with the name of the national government, followed by the agency and any subdivisions. For congressional documents, include the number of the Congress and the session when the hearing was held or resolution passed, as well as the report number.
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: N.C. Const., Ariz. Const., etc. When citing an amended provision, add the date in parentheses, for example, (repealed 1933).
U.S. Constitution, amend. XIV, sec. 2
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Citing amendments
When citing amendments to the US Constitution, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, it's important to use the correct abbreviations: "art." for "article", "amend." for "amendment", and "sec." for "section". Any Roman numerals should be converted to Arabic numerals, for example, "XIV" becomes "14".
In the in-text citation, use amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example, when citing the First Amendment, the citation would be: U.S. Const. amend. I. If you are using an electronic form of the document, the citation would include the site name, modification date, access date, and URL, in addition to the amendment number. Here is an example of how this would look:
> USConstitution.net. 3 Jan. 2011. 27 Feb. 2011. https://www.usconstitution.net.
It's important to note that the Articles of the Constitution describe the powers of the federal government, while the Amendments are additions to the original document. Therefore, when citing Constitutional Amendments, they stand alone and are not preceded by an Article. For example, the 14th Amendment is not within any Article, so you would simply cite it as "amend. 14" rather than citing a specific Article.
Finally, remember to include where you accessed the Constitution in your Works Cited entry. This information is crucial for properly citing amendments to the US Constitution.
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In-text citations
When citing the US Constitution in your text, you should generally cite the specific pieces you are using, instead of the whole document. In other words, you should specify the version, article, amendment, and section numbers.
For example, in MLA style, use "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations, and convert any Roman numerals to Arabic numerals (e.g. "XIV" becomes "14"). So, a citation might look like this: ("Constitution of the United States," art. 1, sec. 4).
If you are citing a provision that has been amended, add the date it was amended in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)".
In APA style, all citations of the US Constitution 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).
For state constitutions, use the abbreviated name of the state, e.g., "N.C. Const." or "Ariz. Const.".
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Frequently asked questions
You generally don't. Instead, cite the specific pieces you are using, instead of the whole document.
The basic format is the same for both in-text citations and end references. For in-text citations, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. An end citation would look like this: U.S. Const. amend. I.
Use Roman numerals for amendments and Arabic numerals for sections.
Use the abbreviated name of the state, e.g. N.C. Const., Ariz. Const.
Chicago style requires only footnote citations for legal documents. You don't need to list them in the bibliography.
