Eleanor Finch
The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is commonly used for writing papers and citing sources in the liberal arts and humanities. When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, you should 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. For example, you could write: U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2. If you are citing a specific edition of the Constitution, you should treat it like the title of a book, e.g. The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Style | MLA (Modern Language Association) |
| Type of document | Legal |
| Name of National Government | United States |
| Agency/Department | N/A |
| Title of Document | Constitution of the United States |
| Edition | N/A |
| Author | United States House of Representatives |
| Publication Date | N/A |
| URL | N/A |
| Access Date | Include if page is likely to change frequently or has no copyright/publication date |
| Article/Section/Amendment Number | Use Arabic numerals for in-text citations (e.g. "art. 1, sec. 4") |
| Abbreviations | Use "art." for Article, "amend." for Amendment, and "sec." for Section |
| Roman Numerals | Use Roman numerals for divisions of legal works (e.g. "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2") |
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What You'll Learn
MLA citation for the US Constitution in book form
The MLA (Modern Language Association) style is commonly used for writing papers and citing sources within the liberal arts and humanities. When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, the basic format is as follows:
> "U.S. Const." or "Constitution of the United States" followed by the article and section numbers in Roman numerals, e.g., "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2" or "Constitution of the United States, art. 1, sec. 4".
If you are citing a specific amendment, use the abbreviation "amend." followed by the amendment number in Roman numerals, e.g., "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
When the US Constitution is published in book form, the citation format changes slightly. Here is how you should cite it:
> Start with the title of the book in italics, such as "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription." Then, list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to this edition after the title, separated by commas. For example, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," edited by John Doe and Jane Smith.
Remember to include information about where you accessed the Constitution in the "Works Cited" entry of your reference list. In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers.
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MLA citation for the US Constitution accessed online
The MLA (Modern Language Association) style is commonly used for writing papers and citing sources in liberal arts and humanities. When citing the US Constitution in MLA style, the information about where you accessed it should be included in the Works Cited entry.
In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example, use "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations, and convert any Roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals (e.g., "XIV" becomes "14").
> “Constitution of the United States,” art. 1, sec. 4.
If you are citing a specific edition of the Constitution published in book form, write the title of the book in italics, and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title. For example:
> The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries.
When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally refer to it as "the Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks. However, in the parenthetical citation, specify the version cited to match the first words of the Works Cited entry.
Additionally, the MLA Style Center recommends documenting the version of the work consulted rather than the canonical version of the law. This means that how you document the source will depend on the information provided by the specific version you are citing.
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MLA citation for the US Constitution's First Amendment
Citing the US Constitution's First Amendment in MLA format is a straightforward process. Firstly, it is important to understand the purpose of citations, which is to maintain academic integrity, provide support and evidence for a position, and avoid plagiarism. Proper citation also helps readers easily locate the referenced sections, enhancing the credibility and reliability of the work.
When citing the US Constitution's First Amendment in MLA format, the following style conventions should be adhered to:
- The title of the constitution should be in quotation marks for in-text citations and italics in the Works Cited entry.
- Use the abbreviations "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations.
- Convert any Roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals (e.g., "XIV" becomes "14").
- Provide the amendment or article number and the section number in your in-text citation.
- If you are referring to an electronic form of the document, include the author, title, site, modification date, access date, and URL.
United States Constitution, First Amendment. USConstitution.net, 3 Jan. 2011, web. 27 Feb. 2011.
Please note that the specific format may vary depending on the version or publication of the US Constitution that you are using. Always refer to the latest MLA guidelines for the most up-to-date and accurate information on how to craft your citations.
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MLA citation for the US Constitution's other Amendments
When citing the US Constitution and its amendments in MLA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, the country of origin should be specified if it is not already clear from the title. For example, when citing the French Constitution, you would include "France" before the title. For the US Constitution, you can simply refer to it as “The Constitution” in your paper without the need for italics or quotation marks.
When citing specific amendments, include the amendment number in your in-text citation. Use the abbreviation "amend." or "amdt." before the amendment number, and convert any Roman numerals into Arabic numerals. For example, instead of writing "amend. XVIII," you would write "amend. 18." 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 the Works Cited entry, the title of the US Constitution should be in italics, followed by any relevant details about the version or edition you are citing. For example, "The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries." Additionally, include information about where you accessed the document. If it was accessed online, provide the URL or website name.
"The Constitution" (art. 1, amend. 14, sec. 4)
This citation format includes the article number ("art."), amendment number ("amend."), and section number ("sec."). Please note that this is just an example, and the specific numbers may vary depending on the amendment you are citing.
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MLA citation for the US Code
The MLA (Modern Language Association) style is commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. When it comes to citing the US Code in MLA style, there are a few guidelines to follow.
Firstly, according to the MLA Handbook, if a legal source is contained within another work, such as a website with a separate title, treat the source as an independent publication. In this case, style the title in italics if it is the name of a court case or in roman if it is a law or similar document. Do not use quotation marks around the title. For example: "United States Code".
Secondly, when citing a specific section of the US Code, you can use a hybrid method that combines the Bluebook citation format with the MLA format template. In this case, treat the section cited as the work and provide the publication information for the version of the source you consulted. Here's an example:
17 U.S.C. § 304. Office of Law Revision Counsel, 14 Jan. 2017, uscode.house.gov.
In this example, "17 U.S.C. § 304" represents the specific section of the US Code being cited, followed by the publication information.
It's important to note that when citing legal works in MLA style, you should document the specific version of the work you consulted rather than the canonical version of the law. This is a fundamental principle of MLA style and applies to all sources, including the US Code.
Additionally, when citing congressional documents, be sure to include the number of the Congress, the session during which the hearing was held or resolution was passed, and the report number. US government documents are typically published by the Government Printing Office. Here's an example of how to cite a congressional document:
United States, Congress, House, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. Government Publishing Office, 17 Apr. 2012, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg50208/html/CHRG-111hhrg50208.htm. 112th Congress, 2nd Session, House Report 112-445. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019.
By following these guidelines, you can properly cite the US Code in MLA style, ensuring that your sources are accurately represented and easily accessible to your readers.
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Frequently asked questions
To cite the US Constitution in MLA format, you should 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. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
Use the abbreviations “art..” (Article), “amend..” (Amendment), and “sec..” (Section) as appropriate in your citations. Convert any Roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals (e.g. “XIV” becomes “14”).
No, if you are only discussing the US Constitution based on general knowledge, you do not need to cite it. However, if you are using a named edition, you should treat it like the title of a book: "The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries".
If you want to cite a specific section of the United States Code in MLA format, you can treat the title of the section as the work and place it in the “Title of source” slot on the MLA template. Alternatively, if you cite the United States Code in its entirety, place the title in the “Number” slot.
