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State of the Union Address

Annual presidential speech to Congress reporting on the nation's condition, outlining priorities and legislative proposals; grounded in Article II, Section 3 and shaped by constitutional practice and custom.

Author: Leandro Alegsa Creation date: November 13, 2022 Last updated: May 30, 2026

en.wikipedia.org · Public domain

Overview

The State of the Union Address is the principal annual message by the President of the United States to a joint session of Congress and the nation. Delivered in speech form today, it reports on the condition of the country, summarizes recent accomplishments, sets out policy goals and legislative priorities, and seeks to shape public debate. It is both a constitutional duty and a political occasion in which the president appeals to lawmakers and the public.

Constitutional basis

The authority for the address is found in Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which directs the president to give to Congress information on the State of the Union and to recommend measures the president deems appropriate. The Constitution does not specify the format, frequency or setting, and those elements have been determined by precedent and changing political practice.

History and development

Forms of delivery have changed over time. Early presidents delivered spoken addresses in Congress. Beginning in the early 19th century, President Thomas Jefferson adopted the practice of sending a written message, a custom that prevailed for many administrations. The practice of delivering the message in person was revived in the early 20th century and subsequently transformed by radio and television into a mass-media event. In the modern era the address is a carefully staged speech broadcast nationwide and analyzed across multiple platforms.

Ceremony and procedure

Today the president typically speaks before a joint session in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the United States Capitol. The occasion is governed by established protocol: the Speaker of the House presides over the joint session, the Vice President and other officials are present, and formal announcements mark the president's arrival. The Sergeant at Arms performs the traditional announcement when the president enters the chamber. Security, seating arrangements, and coordination with congressional leaders and the press are part of the event's planning.

Report on economic, social and security conditions and priorities.
Presentation of a legislative agenda and recommendations for congressional consideration.
Proposals touching domestic policy, budgetary goals, foreign affairs and national defense.
Calls to public engagement and efforts to build support for the president's initiatives.

The address has also spawned associated practices that shape public reception, including a televised opposition or official response, and the appointment of a "designated survivor" who is kept away from the Capitol to preserve continuity of government in the event of catastrophe.

Notable elements and examples

Because the Constitution permits various forms of delivery, presidents have chosen different approaches over time: formal speeches in the chamber, written messages, or shorter televised remarks. Technological change has influenced style and reach, with radio and television making the address a national moment. For background on scheduling and tradition see timing and practice, on assessments of national conditions see reports on the country's state, on the traditional venue see the United States Capitol, on ceremonial roles see the Sergeant at Arms, on the presiding officer see the Speaker of the House, and on the office that delivers the message see the President of the United States.

Changing customs and public reception

Over time the State of the Union has evolved from a congressional communication to a major public event. Modern addresses are crafted with attention to rhetoric, staging, and television or streaming audiences. Scholars and commentators examine the speech for policy content, political strategy, and its effect on legislative prospects, while citizens and interest groups use the occasion to promote or oppose proposals. The balance between information, persuasion and spectacle continues to shape how presidents use the address in governance and politics.

House Chamber in the Capitol during President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address, January 28, 2003.

History

The first State of the Union address was delivered on January 8, 1790, by the first president, George Washington, in the provisional capital of New York. It was still under the impression of the only recent founding of the state, with the Revolutionary General of the War of Independence appealing to unity among the former colonies in the disputes between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Thomas Jefferson, who ruled the country from 1801 to 1809 and always resisted any pomp and any appeal to old monarchical forms, introduced the tradition, preserved until 1913, that the president no longer read his speech himself, but merely wrote it down and sent it to Congress, where it was then read by an official. The length, content, and rhetorical forms subsequently varied; while domestic politics and the problems surrounding slavery and secession initially dominated, America's foreign policy role increasingly came to the fore from the end of the 19th century.

Woodrow Wilson's return to the old format in 1913 of delivering the speech himself was maintained by all subsequent presidents. Up to and including 1934, the speech was delivered in December. With the passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in January 1933, the legislative session of Congress was moved forward from March to January and the timing of the speech was moved to its beginning.

Today, the speech is usually held on the last Tuesday in January, although there is no binding rule for this date and in individual cases it is also deviated from. This case has only occurred twice in history: Ronald Reagan postponed his speech scheduled for January 28, 1986, by a week when the space shuttle Challenger exploded around noon of the same day. Donald Trump's 2019 speech was postponed by nearly a week due to disagreements over the budget dispute and the related longest government shutdown in United States history, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not issue Trump an official invitation to hold a joint session of Congress.

In 1922, Warren G. Harding's speech was broadcast over the radio for a small audience; that of his successor, Calvin Coolidge, in 1923 was the first to reach a national audience. In 1947, Harry S. Truman's speech also began to be broadcast on television. Lyndon B. Johnson's speech in 1965 was the first to be broadcast on evening programming to reach a wider audience. With George W. Bush's address, the State of the Union address has also been livestreamed on the Internet since 2002.

meaningful speeches

In his State of the Union address on December 2, 1823, President James Monroe formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which was significant for the future foreign policy of the United States.
During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formulated the "four freedoms" on January 6, 1941.
On January 23, 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the Persian Gulf region a U.S. "sphere of influence."
President Ronald Reagan introduced the public to the doctrine named after him in his February 6, 1985 speech.
On January 29, 2002, in his first State of the Union address after the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush listed North Korea, Iran, and Iraq as an "axis of evil."

House Chamber during the State of the Union Address by President Harry S. Truman, January 4, 1950.

State of the Union by President Kennedy, January 14, 1963.

Sequence of the speech

In the State of the Union Address, the President traditionally highlights the accomplishments of the past year and refers in optimistic tones to his plans for the coming year. In recent times, distinguished foreign statesmen or American citizens have often attended the event as lodge guests, to whom the president then refers in the speech.

The President is not authorised to enter the meeting room without the authorisation of Congress. Formally, therefore, he must be invited to speak by Congress. The President, upon entering the chamber, is announced by the Master of Ceremonies of the House ("Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives") with the words, "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!" (Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States! ) announced. Greeted by a standing ovation, the President then strode to the podium and, before beginning the speech, handed a copy of each to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the Vice President in his capacity as President of the Senate. If either is unable to attend, he shall be represented at the session by the next senior member. They shall take their seats behind the President during the speech.

The justices of the Supreme Court, the members of the Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs of Staff attend the meeting, thus emphasizing the state-act character of the whole. However, in order to ensure continuity of governance in the event of a disaster, one Cabinet member remains absent from the speech as a so-called "designated survivor". Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, it has also been customary for at least some members of Congress to stay in an undisclosed location for the duration of the speech to be available in case the Capitol becomes the target of an attack.

When the raucous reception by those assembled has died down, the Speaker of the House of Representatives signals with a few bangs of his gavel that the speech ceremony proper is now about to begin. The President is introduced to the House by the Speaker, there is another short round of applause before the President then begins his speech.

The speech itself is now supported by the use of a teleprompter and lasts on average a little over an hour, with frequent pauses during which passages are commented on by applause from those present, sometimes by all those assembled, and in the case of more party-political issues mainly by the president's party.

President Obama during his State of the Union address on January 27, 2010 (audio ogg format) - Vice President Joe Biden (in his role as Senate President) and Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the background.