Capitalization

Capitalization

Capitalization is more a matter of style than grammar. While there are some universal rules – the beginning of a sentence, the proper names of people and organizations. And some common practices – a professional title before a name but not after. Many of the “rules” are really just an organization’s style.

LFC and LESC styles leans toward fewer capitalization; bill drafting style uses almost none. Using too many capitals is often a bad habit of bureaucratic and legal writing. It visually clutters a document, making it hard to read, and imbues it with artificial importance.

Unless a rule in the style manual indicates the word should be capitalized, leave it lower case. The Style Manual has a list of guidelines for when to capitalize – or not capitalize – a word or term. These are the most important.

Capitalize legislature and the chambers of a legislature when referring to the New Mexico Legislature or when part of the full name of any legislature.

  • the Senate

  • House

  • the Thirty-Fourth Legislature

  • Legislature

  • Arizona Legislature

Lowercase plural uses.

  • Arizona and New Mexico legislatures

DO NOT capitalize legislative or legislator.

DO NOT capitalize executive, state, city, and federal if not part of the formal name of the organization.

  • state of New Mexico

  • city of Albuquerque

  • federal Bureau of Reclamation

Capitalize the formal names of organizations even if the words are rearranged slightly.

  • State Land Office

  • Department of Health

  • Health Department

  • Medical Assistance Division

  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management

  • Pew Research Center

  • Health Benefits Program

But lowercase department, division, etc., standing alone, even if referring to a specific organization.

Capitalize the formal names of committees.

  • Senate Finance Committee

But not the informal names.

  • Senate budget committee

Capitalize professional titles before a proper name.

  • Governor Dave Cargo

  • Director David Abbey

But lowercase if appearing after a name or standing alone.

  • Dave Cargo, governor

  • David Abbey, director

  • the governor (but office of the Governor)

  • the director

DO NOT capitalize job descriptions.

  • consultant John Smith

  • lobbyist Mary Jones

Capitalize common nouns used collectively before proper name.

  • Pueblos of Acoma and Cochiti

  • Senators Martinez and Cervantes

But lowercase if used after, even if part of the proper name.

  • Bernalillo and Sandoval counties

  • Pecos and Chama rivers

  • Health and Public Safety departments

DO NOT capitalize the names of funds, taxes, and bonds.

  • general fund

  • severance tax bond

  • gross receipts tax

Capitalize the formal names of acts, sections of an act, and all references of the General Appropriation Act, with or without the year that is part of the formal name of the act.

  • Laws 1962, Chapter 29

  • New Mexico Constitution.

But lowercase constitution, act, law, etc. when standing alone or when part of a descriptive reference.

  • the gambling act

  • the gun-control bill

Capitalize the word program when used with the name of a state agency program, whether it is the organization’s habit or not.

  • Child Support Enforcement Program

  • Inmate Management and Control Program

However, keep in mind it is not always necessary to include the word program.

  • Juvenile Justice Services

  • Risk Management

  • Administrative Support

Capitalize the names of data systems with names.

  • GenTax

  • Royalty Administration and Revenue Processing System

But lowercase data systems generally and “names” that are descriptors.

  • the case management system

  • Medicaid management information system

  • offender information system

Capitalize popular, unofficial names that serve as a proper name

  • the South Valley

  • the Southwest

  • the Pit

But lowercase adjectives describing areas, even if that area is distinctive.

  • north central New Mexico

Capital all parts of a capitalized hyphenated word.

  • Fifty-First Legislature

  • Performance-Based Budget Manual

Do not use all capitals for the name of an organization or service unless it is an abbreviation for a longer name:

      • Wrong: the childcare center licensing system FOCUS (the letters in focus do not stand for anything)

      • Right: Focus

      • Wrong: PAX Good Behavior Game

      • Right: Pax Good Behavior Game

      • Wrong: COVID-19

      • Right: Covid-19.

For document section heads and subheads and the titles of reports and other composition titles, capitalize the first and last word and all other words of four or more letters. Capitalize all parts of a hyphenated word.

Keep in mind government activities can evolve; a service can become a formal program over time, or the reverse, resulting in a change in whether the term is capitalized. If this happens, check the style manual for the specific term and, if it’s not there, check in with the LFC or LESC editor and other frequent users of the term so everyone is applying the same usage rule between updates of the Style Manual.

Many words and phrases, including special cases, are listed separately in the style manual. Entries capitalized without comment should be capitalized in all cases. If there is no relevant listing, consult merriam-webster.com.