Jonah Patel
The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for referencing legal materials, including constitutions. The APA recommends following The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation for legal citations. When referencing the U.S. Constitution, use the abbreviation U.S. Const. followed by relevant article, amendment, section, or clause numbers. Roman numerals are used for article and amendment numbers, while Arabic numerals are used for sections and clauses. If a provision has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses. For state constitutions, use the legal state abbreviation, and note that amendment numbers are in Arabic numerals. If you are referencing the constitution as a whole, a citation is generally not necessary.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Citing the U.S. Constitution | Begin with "U.S. Const." followed by relevant article, amendment, section, or clause numbers. Use "Art." for Article, "Amend." for Amendment, "cl." for Clause, and "pmbl." for Preamble. |
| Numbering | Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers, and Arabic numerals for sections and clauses. |
| Repealed or amended provisions | Include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses after the citation. |
| Citing a whole federal or state constitution | No citation is necessary. Simply refer to the constitution in the text. |
| Citing state constitution amendments | Use Roman numerals for article numbers and Arabic numerals for amendment numbers. |
| Citing legal materials | Refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation or the APA Publication Manual (Chapter 11, page 355). |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution is a crucial document that lays down the foundation and principles of the United States government and the nation's fundamental laws. When citing the U.S. Constitution in APA format, there are specific guidelines and styles to follow to ensure uniformity and accuracy.
Firstly, it's important to note that if you are making a general or passing reference to the U.S. Constitution, you can simply mention it in your text without including a formal citation or reference list entry. However, if you are using specific articles, amendments, sections, or clauses of the Constitution as evidence or support in your paper, a more structured citation format is required.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the authoritative guide for legal citations, including the U.S. Constitution. The 18th edition of The Bluebook, published in 2005, is the recommended version to follow for legal citation style in APA format. While the APA Publication Manual provides examples of various legal citation types, it does not specifically cover the citation of constitutions. Therefore, The Bluebook is the primary reference for this purpose.
When citing a specific part of the U.S. Constitution, your citation should begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, or clause numbers. Here is the format for each component:
- Article: Use the abbreviation "art." and Roman numerals for the article number (e.g., "U.S. Const. art. I").
- Amendment: Use the abbreviation "amend." and Roman numerals for the amendment number (e.g., "U.S. Const. amend. XIII").
- Section: Use Arabic numerals for the section number (e.g., "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3").
- Clause: Use the abbreviation "cl." and Arabic numerals for the clause number.
Additionally, if you are citing a repealed or amended provision of the Constitution, you should include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses after the citation (e.g., "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed 1933").
By following these guidelines, you can accurately cite the U.S. Constitution in your academic writing, ensuring proper credit and providing traceability for your sources.
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Referencing state constitutions
When referencing state constitutions in APA Style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, if you are simply making a passing reference to a state constitution, such as the Wisconsin Constitution, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are using a specific part of a state constitution as evidence or support for your argument, a formal citation is necessary.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005) is the recommended guide for legal citations, including state constitutions. While the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) does not specifically cover citing constitutions, it directs users to The Bluebook for legal citation guidance. Rule 11 of The Bluebook provides the standard format for citing federal and state constitutions.
When citing a specific article or amendment of a state constitution, the basic structure is as follows:
Abbreviated name of the state) Const. (Article number in Roman numerals), (Section number). For example: "Md. Const. art. VI, § 42" refers to Article VI, Section 42 of the Maryland Constitution. Note that state constitution article numbers and federal constitution amendment numbers use Roman numerals, while state constitution amendment numbers use Arabic numerals.
If you are citing a clause within an article or amendment, simply add the clause number in Arabic numerals after the section number, like so:
Abbreviated name of the state) Const. (Article number in Roman numerals), (Section number), (Clause number). For example: "Cal. Const. art. I, § 2, cl. 3" refers to Clause 3 of Section 2, Article I of the California Constitution.
In the event that a provision of the state constitution has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses after the citation, as shown in this example: "N.Y. Const. art. II, § 5 (repealed 1987)".
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your references to state constitutions in APA Style are accurate and conform to the standards set by The Bluebook and the Publication Manual.
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The Bluebook citation system
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, is a style guide that sets the standard for legal citations. It is the go-to guide for legal citation and has been trusted by legal professionals since 1926. The Bluebook is particularly useful for those working with foreign and international materials and is often used as a companion to the APA style guide.
The Bluebook is now available online and has been redesigned on a mobile-optimized platform to support quick and easy searches. It includes new personalisation features and allows users to switch seamlessly between the print and online versions, with identical numbering and content for rules and tables.
To create a citation using The Bluebook, follow this six-step process:
- Identify the type of source you are citing. Common types include cases, statutes, books and book chapters, journal articles, web pages, etc.
- Check the Quick Guides on the inside cover to identify major source types.
- Use the index to find rules for source types not included in the Quick Guides.
- The Bluebook prefers citations to print sources. If you found a traditionally printed source online, review the rules for both print and online sources.
- Examples are provided inside the front cover, at the beginning of each rule, and within the text of the rules.
- Note which components are required to create a citation for a specific type of source.
The Bluebook also provides templates for citing different types of sources. For example, to cite a book using the Bluebook Law Review citation style, the template is:
Author Forename Author Surname, Title Pages Used (Year Published).
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In-text citations
The APA Publication Manual provides some information on citing legal sources in Chapter 11 (page 355). For more in-depth instructions on citing legal materials, refer to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. This style guide sets the standard for all legal citations.
When referencing the U.S. Constitution, you can simply mention it in your paper without including a citation in the references list. However, if you are citing specific articles, amendments, sections, or clauses, your in-text citation should begin with "U.S. Const." followed by the relevant details.
Use the following abbreviations:
- Article = art.
- Amendment = amend.
- Section = (Arabic numeral)
- Clause = cl.
- Preamble = pmbl.
Article and amendment numbers use Roman numerals (I, II, III), while sections and clauses use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, would be cited as (U.S. Const. amend. XIII). If a provision has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses: (repealed 1979).
State constitutions follow similar rules, but state constitution amendment numbers are also in Arabic numerals.
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Reference list entries
The APA recommends following The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation for legal materials. This system sets the standard for all legal citations and includes unique provisions for citing legal materials, which can be extended to the Constitution.
When referencing the U.S. Constitution, you can abbreviate it to "U.S. Const." in the reference list and in parenthetical citations. This is followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, or clause numbers, using the following abbreviations:
- Article = art.
- Amendment = amend.
- Section = §
- Clause = cl.
- Preamble = pmbl.
Roman numerals are used for article and amendment numbers (e.g. I, II, III), while Arabic numerals are used for sections and clauses (e.g. 1, 2, 3).
If a provision of the Constitution has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses after the citation. For example:
U.S. Const. amend. XIII, repealed 1979
Note that if you are referring to the U.S. Constitution as a whole, you do not need to include a citation in the reference list. Simply refer to it in the text of your paper.
When citing a state constitution, use the legal state abbreviation (e.g. Mass. Const. for the Massachusetts Constitution). State constitution article numbers are also indicated by Roman numerals, but amendment numbers use Arabic numerals.
To format your reference list, remember to include a hanging indent and double-space the entire list.
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Frequently asked questions
You do not need to include a citation in the reference list. Simply refer to the constitution in the text by name.
Create a reference list entry and in-text citation as you normally would. Abbreviate the US Constitution to "U.S. Const." in reference lists and parentheticals, and use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers. For state constitutions, use the legal state abbreviation and Roman numerals for article numbers, but Arabic numerals for amendment numbers.
The Bluebook is a uniform system of citation for legal materials, which is the standard for all legal citations. APA defers to Bluebook style for legal materials, so you can refer to it for more in-depth information on referencing a constitution.
