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Do You Cite the Constitution?

Elena Rostova • • 6 min read
Do You Cite the Constitution?

Citation Generator
If you are citing the Declaration or Constitution itself, do not cite it in the works cited list. This is because both are considered well-known, or common knowledge documents. They should only be referenced in an in-text or parenthetical citation.

Do I need to cite the Constitution?

The United States Constitution, the foundational document of our democracy, does not need to be cited in the text of a paper if mentioned generally. For example: The U. S. Constitution describes the responsibilities of the three branches of government.

How do we cite the Constitution?

“All citations of the U.S. 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 art., amend., §, and cl., respectively. Preamble is abbreviated pmbl. (as in my opening quotation).

Elena Rostova
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Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.