How to Cite Government Documents in Chicago Style
Learn how to properly cite government documents and official sources using both Chicago citation systems.
Government Document Citation Overview
Government documents are crucial primary sources for historical and political research. Chicago style provides specific guidelines for citing federal, state, and local government publications, with attention to the complex authorship and publication patterns of official documents.
Government Citation Elements
- • Government body or agency name
- • Document title
- • Publication information or series details
- • Date of publication
- • Page numbers (when applicable)
- • URL or database (for online sources)
Federal Government Documents
Congressional Records
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Congressional Record, 118th Cong., 1st sess., 2023, vol. 169, no. 42, H1234-H1245.
Notes-Bibliography bibliography:
Congressional Record. 118th Cong., 1st sess., 2023. Vol. 169, no. 42, H1234-H1245.
Author-Date reference list:
Congressional Record. 2023. 118th Cong., 1st sess. Vol. 169, no. 42, H1234-H1245.
Committee Reports
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, Strengthening American Democracy Through Education, 118th Cong., 1st sess., 2023, H. Rep. 118-45.
Author-Date reference list:
U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. 2023. Strengthening American Democracy Through Education. 118th Cong., 1st sess. H. Rep. 118-45.
Executive Department Publications
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. U.S. Department of Education, Annual Report on Educational Progress 2023 (Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office, 2023), 45-67.
Author-Date reference list:
U.S. Department of Education. 2023. Annual Report on Educational Progress 2023. Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office.
Presidential Documents
Executive Orders
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Executive Order 14019, "Promoting Access to Voting," Federal Register 86, no. 58 (March 29, 2021): 16809-16814.
Author-Date reference list:
Executive Order 14019. 2021. "Promoting Access to Voting." Federal Register 86 (58): 16809-16814.
Presidential Speeches
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Joe Biden, "Remarks on Democracy and Voting Rights" (speech, Atlanta, GA, January 11, 2022), Public Papers of the Presidents, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/01/11/remarks-by-president-biden-on-voting-rights-legislation.
Supreme Court Cases
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Notes-Bibliography bibliography:
Brown v. Board of Education. 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Author-Date in-text:
(Brown v. Board of Education 1954)
Author-Date reference list:
Brown v. Board of Education. 1954. 347 U.S. 483.
State Government Documents
State Agency Report
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. California Department of Education, State of Education in California 2023 (Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2023), 78-92.
Author-Date reference list:
California Department of Education. 2023. State of Education in California 2023. Sacramento: California Department of Education.
State Legislation
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Texas Education Code, sec. 28.002, "Required Curriculum" (2023).
Author-Date reference list:
Texas Education Code. 2023. Sec. 28.002, "Required Curriculum."
State Court Cases
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Serrano v. Priest, 5 Cal. 3d 584 (Cal. 1971).
Local Government Documents
Municipal Ordinances
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Chicago Municipal Code, chap. 2-152, "Ethics" (amended 2023).
Author-Date reference list:
Chicago Municipal Code. 2023. Chap. 2-152, "Ethics."
City Council Minutes
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Boston City Council, meeting minutes, November 15, 2023, agenda item 4, "Education Budget Allocation."
International Government Documents
United Nations Documents
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. United Nations General Assembly, Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1, September 25, 2015.
Author-Date reference list:
United Nations General Assembly. 2015. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A/RES/70/1, September 25, 2015.
Foreign Government Documents
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Parliament of Canada, House of Commons, Debates, 44th Parliament, 1st session, no. 125 (November 18, 2023).
Online Government Resources
Government Website
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. U.S. Census Bureau, "Educational Attainment Data," accessed November 20, 2023, https://www.census.gov/topics/education/educational-attainment/data.html.
Author-Date reference list:
U.S. Census Bureau. n.d. "Educational Attainment Data." Accessed November 20, 2023. https://www.census.gov/topics/education/educational-attainment/data.html.
Government Database
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment Projections Program," data accessed November 18, 2023, https://www.bls.gov/emp.
Historical Government Documents
Founding Documents
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. U.S. Constitution, art. I, sec. 8.
Author-Date in-text:
(U.S. Constitution, art. I, sec. 8)
Historical Congressional Documents
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Annals of Congress, 1st Cong., 1st sess., 1789, 1:456-467.
Treaties and International Agreements
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Treaty of Versailles, June 28, 1919, Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America 1776-1949, vol. 2, comp. Charles I. Bevans (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1969), 43-247.
Author-Date reference list:
Treaty of Versailles. 1919. June 28, 1919. In Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America 1776-1949, vol. 2, comp. Charles I. Bevans, 43-247. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1969.
Common Government Document Mistakes
- • Incomplete citation information: Include congress number, session, and document numbers
- • Wrong author format: Use agency names, not individual government employees
- • Missing publication details: Include place and publisher for print documents
- • Incorrect date usage: Use the document date, not the access date for stable sources
- • Overly complex citations: Simplify when citing well-known documents like the Constitution
- • Missing URL for online sources: Include web addresses for digital government documents
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