LibGuides: Constitutions: Home

Resources to find Constitutions

US State Constitutions
This research guide is designed to help you research state constitutions by providing the following information:
Where to find the text of current and historical constitutions
Historical research sources
Useful secondary sources, such as periodicals and treatises
How to research constitutional history, amendments and revisions

The A to Z pages of this research guide offer 50-state research on state constitutions and provide links to the following information for all 50 states:
Constitution Text
Amendment Process
Pending Constitutional Amendments
Historical Constitutional Amendments Considered
Resources, Artifacts and Documents
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from Indiana University at Bloomington, Jerome Hall Law Library
The U.S. Constitution
"... a transcription of the Constitution as it was inscribed by Jacob Shallus on parchment (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflect the original."
The Annotated U.S. Constitution
"This edition of the Congressional Research Service's U.S. Constitution Annotated is a hypertext interpretation of the CRS text, updated to the currently published version. It links to Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Code, and the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as enhancing navigation through search, breadcrumbs, linked footnotes and tables of contents."
Country List of Constitutions
" goal of this research project is to document the individual constitutional histories of a total of 51 countries in Europe, in the Americas, and in Africa as comprehensively and as accurately as possible. This is clearly a first in the scholarship of constitutional and legal history worldwide. Collections of this kind have only very rarely been attempted, let alone completed, in a satisfactory fashion. Even existing compilations -- a few in Europe and in Latin America, some noteworthy in the United States -- have proven to be fragmentary and incomplete when viewed against the broadly-based and comprehensive definition of modern constitutionalism as used in this project."
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"This research project is truly an international project. It draws together a large number of internationally acclaimed scholars, who are all leading experts in their fields.

These scholars, together with their teams, are responsible for the constitutional documents within their regional and topical area of specialization. They contribute documents, annotated and indexed editions and translations as well as scholarly introductions."

Book Secondary Sources.

Book of the States SAU Library Second Floor Stacks JK2403 .B6
" (annual), Council of State Governments. The first chapter focuses on constitutions and provides a narrative survey of current developments in state constitutional law, accompanied by tables on topics such as the length of each constitution, dates of adoption, and amendment procedures. "

Human Rights and Social Policy in the 21st Century by Joseph Wronka
Call Number: SAU Library Second Floor Stacks JC571 .W96 1998
ISBN: 0761810102
Publication Date: 1998-03-05
"The historical-philosophical context : a history of the idea of human rights -- A human rights analysis : implications for social policy -- Essays toward the creation of a human rights culture."
The Government's War Powers under the Constitution of the United States by William Whiting
Call Number: SAU Library Second Floor Stacks KF5060 .W45 1971
ISBN: 0873800737
Publication Date: 1986
War and emergency powers -- United States; Martial law -- United States; Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877); Postwar reconstruction; Presidents -- United States

Constitutions of the Communist party-states, by Jan F. Triska
SAU Library Second Floor Stacks JC474 .T7 1968
A constitution for the world
SAU Library Second Floor Stacks JZ5566 .C667 1965

How-to guides for writing a Constitution

Writing a Constitution
from Columbia College
HOW TO WRITE A CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
from the University of Southern Indiana

Database for further research

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
This interdisciplinary database includes over 17,000 full-text news sources. Also includes a wealth of company/financial information and a variety of legal cases. Can be tricky to search, but useful under the right circumstances.

Book Catalog search

Click here for a SUBJECT search of book results at SAU Library:

Constitutions

Constitutional History

Constitutional Law

Try also using the Partner Library tab, once in the list. Sign in to Library Central for best results and to Interlibrary Loan

Citing documents

Chicago Style for citing Constitutions

Articles

Current State Civics Policies (interactive map)
The U.S. Needs a New Constitution—Here's How to Write It Let's face it: What worked well 224 years ago is no longer the best we can do. by ALEX SEITZ-WALD and the NATIONAL JOURNAL NOV 2, 2013
An SAU community member can interlibrary loan this article by going to the ILL portal at https://sau.cliohosting.com/Account/Login
State Civic Education Requirements. CIRCLE Fact Sheet
"This fact sheet summarizes state requirements related to civic education, which means learning about citizenship, government, law, current events, and related topics. Civic education is most directly addressed in courses labeled "civics," "government," or "U.S. government." Social studies is a broader category that also includes such disciplines as history, economics, and geography. However, standards and tests in the social studies often include content relevant to civics. Thus the authors examine requirements for the social studies with a special emphasis on provisions that relate explicitly or implicitly to civics and government. What states "should" require is a complex and controversial matter, dependent on what constitutes good citizenship and how states should influence education. This fact sheet, however, is a strictly factual analysis that is meant to inform debates about policy by summarizing the state requirements that are now in place. (Contains 4 figures, 2 tables, 1 footnote, and 11 notes.)"

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