Writers in the humanities and liberal arts sometimes reference documents from United States government agencies. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency, which seeks to protect the health of both humans and the planet, creates regulations based on Congressional laws. The "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.)" offers guidelines for citing EPA rulings in text and on the Works Cited page.
In-Text Citation
After including information from an EPA ruling, use an in-text citation within parentheses. List the entire name of the agency and include the page number, if available, such as (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2). If you mention the name of the agency in the text, omit it from the parentheses.
Works Cited Page
Begin with "United States" without quotation marks. Add a period. List the name of the agency. Add a period. Insert the italicized name of the document. Add a period. Include the place of publication, a colon, the publication office, a comma and the publication year. Add a period. Identify the medium, either "Print" or Web." Add a period. If you accessed the document online, list the date, abbreviated month and year of access. Finish with a period.
For example:
United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Arsenic Rule. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2001. Web. 4 Mar. 2013.