Isabella Carter
The US Constitution is a widely referenced document, and there are several ways to cite it, including Chicago, MLA, and APA styles. Each style has its own set of rules for footnotes and citations. For example, in Chicago style, you would use a footnote for your in-text citation, while in MLA style, you would include information about where you accessed the document in the Works Cited entry. When creating a footnote, you should start with U.S. Constitution followed by the relevant amendment, section, article, and/or clause. It's important to note that article and amendment numbers are typically written using Roman numerals, while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | APA, MLA, Chicago, Bluebook, etc. |
| State constitutions | Abbreviated name of the state: N.C. Const., Ariz. Const., etc. |
| Amended provisions | Add the date amended in parentheses |
| APA and MLA | Require reference list entries and in-text citations for specific pieces |
| Chicago style | Limit legal citations to the text itself when using a handful of legal documents; use footnotes when using several legal documents |
| Citing the Constitution | Cite specific pieces instead of the whole document |
| Short cite note | Rule 11 states that constitutions cannot be cited using a short cite other than Id. |
| Bluebook citations | Cite the United States Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 2; Hawaii Constitution, Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 |
| Article/Amendment and Section numbers | Use "art.," "amend.," and "sec." as appropriate in citations; convert Roman numerals to Arabic numerals |
| Bibliography | Legal documents in Chicago style do not need to be listed |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution in Chicago style
When citing the US Constitution in Chicago style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, it is recommended to cite specific pieces of the Constitution that are relevant to your argument, rather than citing the entire document. This involves citing particular articles, amendments, sections, and clauses. For example, you might cite the "United States Constitution, 14th Amendment, Section 2".
The Chicago style generally recommends limiting legal citations to the text itself, using the narrative to include information that would typically go in the footnotes. However, if you are using several legal documents in your work, it is appropriate to supplement the citations with footnotes. These footnotes should follow the Chicago style format for footnotes, and legal documents do not need to be included in a bibliography.
When citing a provision that has been amended, remember to add the date it was amended in parentheses. For example, if citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name followed by the relevant article and section: "N.C. Const. art. VI, § 2 (amended 2004)".
- U.S. Const. art. III, § 2.
- U.S. Const., art. III, § 2.
- U.S. Constitution, art. III, § 2.
- United States Constitution (1787), Article III, section 2.
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MLA style and the US Constitution
When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, there are several key guidelines to follow. Firstly, it is important to cite specific pieces of the Constitution that are relevant to your argument, rather than citing the entire document. In the in-text citation, use article, amendment, and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example, when citing the 14th Amendment, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the citation would look like this: ("Constitution of the United States," amend. 14, sec. 2).
It is also important to use the appropriate abbreviations in your citations. Use "art." for "Article," "amend." for "Amendment," and "sec." for "Section." Any Roman numerals in the text should be converted to Arabic numerals. For example, "XIV" becomes "14." The federal constitution can be cited using "U.S." or the abbreviated name of the state, such as "Mass." for Massachusetts.
Additionally, when citing an online version of the Constitution, include information about where you accessed it in the Works Cited entry. If you are citing a book edition of the Constitution, write the title of the book in italics and list any editors or contributors. In general, when mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can simply refer to it as the "Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks.
For state constitutions, use the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const." For example, "N.C. Const." or "Ariz. Const." When citing a provision that has been amended, include the date it was amended in parentheses. This information can be included in the reference entry for APA and MLA styles or in a footnote for Chicago style.
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APA style and US Constitution footnotes
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for all legal citations, including the US Constitution. The Publication Manual of the APA Style includes a variety of legal citation examples, but citing the US Constitution is not among them.
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 citing a part of the Constitution as evidence to support a point, 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 article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers as relevant. The terms article, amendment, section, and clause are always abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. 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 example, a citation of the US Constitution might look like this:
> "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union...." —U.S. Constitution, pmbl.
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. For example:
> During prohibition, the sale of liquor was made illegal (U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933).
If you are citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name of the state: N.C. Const., Ariz. Const., etc.
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US Constitution footnotes in Bluebook citations
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook contains a set of rules for citing legal documents, including the US Constitution.
When citing the US Constitution in Bluebook style, the following format should be used:
> U.S. Const. amend. [Amendment Number], § [Section Number], cl. [Clause Number]
For example, to cite the 14th Amendment, Section 2 of the US Constitution, the correct citation would be:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2
Note that the amendment number is given in Roman numerals, and the "U.S." abbreviation is always used, regardless of whether the citation appears in a footnote or in the main text.
If you are citing a state constitution, use the abbreviated name of the state followed by "Const.":
> [State Abbreviation] Const. art. [Article Number], § [Section Number], cl. [Clause Number]
For example, to cite Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the correct citation would be:
> Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2
According to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." All foreign constitutions should be cited by name. Additionally, if the constitutional provision is still in force, no date is needed in the citation.
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Citing specific pieces of the US Constitution
When citing specific pieces of the US Constitution, it is important to follow the correct style guide depending on the required formatting – APA, MLA, or Chicago. While the formatting may differ, the key elements of the citation remain the same.
Firstly, when citing the US Constitution, always 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 to "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. The preamble is abbreviated to "pmbl." Article and amendment numbers are written in Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers are written in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3).
For example, to cite the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2 of the US Constitution, the citation would appear as follows: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2."
If the provision you are citing has been amended, include the date it was amended in parentheses. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)." This information is included in parentheses after the section and clause details.
It is also important to note that when citing state constitutions, use the abbreviated name of the state, for example, "N.C. Const." or "Ariz. Const.".
Additionally, different style guides have varying requirements for reference list entries and in-text citations. APA and MLA styles require reference list entries and in-text citations for specific pieces of constitutions, with similar formatting for both. Chicago style, on the other hand, only requires footnote citations for legal documents and does not include them in the bibliography. When using only a few legal citations in Chicago style, it is recommended to limit citations to the text itself and incorporate relevant information into the narrative.
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Frequently asked questions
Start the footnote with "U.S. Constitution." Then, add the amendment, section, article, and/or clause. Use Roman numerals for articles and Arabic numbers for everything else. For example, your footnote could look like this: U.S. Constitution, amend. 1.
Generally, you don't. Instead, cite the specific pieces you are using. In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. Also, include information about where you accessed it in the Works Cited entry.
Cite all foreign constitutions by name and include [Constitution] if the nature of the document is unclear from the context.
