Edit filter log

'{{short description|annual speech by the President of the United States}} {{redirect|States of the Union|other uses|State of the Union (disambiguation)}} {{for|the most recent State of the Union address|2019 State of the Union Address}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2019}} {{use mdy dates|date=January 2015}} The '''State of the Union''' '''Address''' (sometimes abbreviated to '''SOTU''') is an annual message<ref name="house.gov">{{cite web | url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/ | title=State of the Union Address {{!}} US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives | website=history.house.gov | language=en | access-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref> delivered by the [[President of the United States]] to a [[joint session of the United States Congress]] at the beginning of each calendar year in office.<ref name=CNN>{{cite web | last=Diaz | first=Daniella | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/politics/donald-trump-address-not-state-of-the-union/ | title=Why Trump's Tuesday speech isn't a State of the Union address | publisher=CNN| date=February 28, 2017 | accessdate=February 28, 2017}}</ref> The message typically includes a budget message and an economic report of the nation, and also allows the President to propose a legislative agenda and national priorities.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gpoaccess.gov/sou/index.html |title= Ben's Guide to U.S. Government |publisher= [[United States Government Printing Office]] |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090225175013/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/sou/index.html |archivedate= February 25, 2009 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> The address fulfills the requirement in [[Article Two of the United States Constitution#Section 3: Presidential responsibilities|Article II, Section 3]] of the [[U.S. Constitution]] for the President to periodically "give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."<ref name="house.gov"/> During most of the country's first century, the President primarily only submitted a written report to Congress. After 1913, [[Woodrow Wilson]], the 28th U.S. President, began the regular practice of delivering the address to Congress in person as a way to rally support for the President's agenda.<ref name="house.gov"/> With the advent of radio and television, the address is now broadcast live across the country on many networks.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/31-7-million-viewers-tune-in-to-watch-pres-obamas-state-of-the-union-adress.html |title=31.7 Million Viewers Tune In To Watch Pres. Obama’s State of the Union Address |date=January 21, 2015 |work=The Nielsen Company |quote=On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, President Barack Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address. The address was carried live from 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. on 13 networks and tape-delayed on Univision.}}</ref> ==Formality== The practice arises from a duty of the President under the [[State of the Union Clause]] of the [[U.S. Constitution]]:<ref name="KesavanSidak">{{cite journal|author=Vasan Kesavan and [[J. Gregory Sidak]]|title=The Legislator-In-Chief|journal=William and Mary Law Review|year=2002|volume=44|issue=1|accessdate=June 28, 2012|url=http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1345&context=wmlr}}</ref> {{quote|He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.|[[Article Two of the United States Constitution|Article II]], Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution}} Though the language of the clause is not specific, since the 1930s, the President has made this report annually in late January or early February. Between 1934 and 2013 the date has been as early as January 3,<ref name="CRS2">{{cite book |title=The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications |publisher=Congressional Research Service |page=2 |date=January 24, 2014 |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40132.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref> and as late as February 12.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=USA Today |first=David |last=Jackson |title=Obama State of the Union set for Feb. 12 |date=January 11, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/01/11/obama-boehner-state-of-union-feb-12/1826865/}}</ref> While not required to deliver a speech, every president since [[Woodrow Wilson]], with the notable exception of [[Herbert Hoover]],<ref name="AppSou">{{cite web|title=State of the Union Addresses and Messages: research notes by Gerhard Peters|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php|website=The American Presidency Project (APP)|accessdate=24 January 2017}}</ref> has made at least one State of the Union report as a speech delivered before a joint session of Congress. Before that time, most presidents delivered the State of the Union as a written report.<ref name="CRS2"/> Since Franklin Roosevelt, the State of the Union is given typically each January before a [[joint session of the United States Congress]] and is held in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] chamber of the [[United States Capitol]]. Newly [[United States presidential inauguration|inaugurated]] presidents generally deliver an address to Congress in February of the first year of their term, but this speech is not officially considered to be a "State of the Union".<ref name="CRS2"/> What began as a communication between president and Congress has become in effect a communication between the president and the people of the United States. Since the advent of radio, and then television, the speech has been broadcast live on most networks, preempting scheduled programming. To reach the largest audience, the speech, once given during the day, is now typically given in the evening, after 9pm&nbsp;[[Eastern Time Zone|ET]]&nbsp;([[UTC-5]]). ==History== [[Image:Washington - State of the Union.djvu|right|thumb|200px|[[George Washington]]'s handwritten notes for the first State of the Union Address, January 8, 1790. [[:File:Washington - State of the Union.djvu|Full 7 pages]].]] [[George Washington]] delivered the first regular annual message before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1790, in [[New York City]], then the provisional U.S. capital. In 1801, [[Thomas Jefferson]] discontinued the practice of delivering the address in person, regarding it as too monarchical (similar to the [[Speech from the Throne]]). Instead, the address was written and then sent to Congress to be read by a clerk until 1913 when [[Woodrow Wilson]] re-established the practice despite some initial controversy, and an in-person address to Congress has been delivered nearly every year since. However, there have been exceptions to this rule, with some messages being given solely in writing, and others given both in writing and orally (either in a speech to Congress or through broadcast media).<ref name="app" /> The last President to give a written message without a spoken address was [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1981, days before his term ended after his defeat by [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref name="app">{{cite web |first=Gerhard |last=Peters |title=State of the Union Messages |publisher=The American Presidency Project |url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php|accessdate = September 25, 2006}}</ref> For many years, the speech was referred to as "the President's Annual Message to Congress".<ref name=CRSFAQ>{{cite web |first1= Michael |last1= Kolakowski |first2= Thomas H. |last2= Neale |lastauthoramp= yes |title= The President's State of the Union Message: Frequently Asked Questions |work= [[Congressional Research Service]] Report for Congress |date= March 7, 2006 |url= https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/stateoftheunion.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= January 28, 2010}}</ref> The actual term "State of the Union" first emerged in 1934 when [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] used the phrase, becoming its generally accepted name since 1947.<ref name=CRSFAQ/> {{listen |title=State of the Union (Four Freedoms) (January 6, 1941) |filename=FDR's 1941 State of the Union (Four Freedoms speech) Edit 1.ogg |description =[[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]'s January 6, 1941 State of the Union Address introducing the theme of the [[Four Freedoms]] (starting at 32:02) |image=[[File:FDR in 1933.jpg|alt=Franklin Delano Roosevelt headshot|100px|thumb|[[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]]] |pos=left }} Prior to 1934, the annual message was delivered at the end of the calendar year, in December. The ratification of the [[Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution|20th Amendment]] on January 23, 1933, changed the opening of Congress from early March to early January, affecting the delivery of the annual message. Since 1934, the message or address has been delivered to Congress in January or February. The Twentieth Amendment also established January 20 as the beginning of the presidential term. In years when a new president is inaugurated, the outgoing president may deliver a final State of the Union message, but none has done so since [[Jimmy Carter]] sent a written message in 1981. In 1953 and 1961, Congress received both a written State of the Union message from the outgoing president and a separate State of the Union speech by the incoming president. Since 1989, in recognition that the responsibility of reporting the State of the Union formally belongs to the president who held office during the past year, newly inaugurated Presidents have not officially called their first speech before Congress a "State of the Union" message. [[Image:President Ronald Reagan's First State of the Union Address 1982.gif|thumb|150px|left|The text of the first page of [[Ronald Reagan]]'s first State of the Union Address, given January 26, 1982]] [[Warren Harding]]'s 1922 speech was the first to be broadcast on radio, albeit to a limited audience,<ref name=CNN2>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/11/politics/state-of-the-union-firsts/index.html|title=State of the Union firsts|work=|author=Robert Yoon, CNN Political Research Director|date=February 12, 2013|accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref> while [[Calvin Coolidge]]'s 1923 speech was the first to be broadcast across the nation.<ref name=CNN/> President Roosevelt's address in 1936 was the first delivered in the evening,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-first-evening-Annual-Message/|title=The First Evening Annual Message|last=|first=|date=|website=history.house.gov|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-01-18}}</ref> but this precedent was not followed again until the 1960s. [[Harry S. Truman]]'s 1947 address was the first to be broadcast on television. In 1968, television networks in the United States for the first time imposed no time limit for their coverage of a State of the Union address. Delivered by [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], this address was followed by extensive televised commentary by, among others, [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] and [[Milton Friedman]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Kurlansky |first=Mark |title=1968: The Year That Rocked the World |year=2004 |publisher=Ballantine |location=New York |isbn=0-9659111-4-4 |page=44}}</ref> Bill Clinton's 1997 address was the first broadcast available live on the [[World Wide Web]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/Joint_Meetings/100tocur.html#31|title=Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, and Inaugurations|author=Office of the Clerk|work=House History|publisher=United States House of Representatives|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118033531/http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/Joint_Meetings/100tocur.html|archivedate=January 18, 2011}}</ref> [[Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan's]] 1986 State of the Union Address was the first to have been postponed. He had planned to deliver the speech on January 28, 1986, but it was delayed for a week following the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster]] that morning.<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Ronald Reagan Presidential Library |url=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/12886b.htm |title=Address to the nation on the ''Challenger'' disaster |accessdate=July 4, 2006}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=The Shuttle Explosion: Reagan Postpones State of the Union Speech |first=Bernard |last=Weinraub |newspaper= The New York Times |date=January 29, 1986 |page=A9 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/29/us/the-shuttle-explosion-reagan-postpones-state-of-union-speech.html}}</ref> Reagan instead addressed the nation from the [[Oval Office]] about the disaster.<ref name=":0" /> On January 23, 2019, the [[2019 State of the Union Address|2019 State of the Union]] speech by [[Donald Trump]], originally planned for January 29, 2019, was canceled after an exchange of letters with [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] in which she stated she would not proceed with a vote on a resolution to permit him to deliver the speech in the House chamber until the end of [[2018–19 United States federal government shutdown]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/politics/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-state-of-the-union/index.html|title=Pelosi denies Trump use of House chamber for State of the Union|last=Liptak|first=Kevin|website=CNN|access-date=2019-01-24}}</ref> This decision rescinded an earlier invitation from the Speaker, reportedly the first time in American history that a Speaker had "disinvited" the President from delivering the address.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-first-president-in-history-disinvited-from-delivering-state-of-the-union-2019-1|title=Trump is right, he's the first president in US history to be disinvited from delivering the State of the Union|last=Haltiwanger|first=John|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-01-24}}</ref> They later agreed to hold the speech on February 5, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/us/politics/state-of-the-union-pelosi-trump.html|title=Trump to Deliver State of the Union Next Week|last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=2019-01-28|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-02-04|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ==Delivery of the speech== Because the address is made to a joint session of Congress, the House and Senate must each pass a resolution setting a date and time for the joint session. Then, a formal invitation is made by the [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] to the President typically several weeks before the appointed date.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-boehner-extends-president-obama-formal-invitation-deliver-state-union-address |title=Speaker Boehner Extends President Obama Formal Invitation to Deliver State of the Union Address |date=January 11, 2011 |work=Speaker Boehner's Press Office}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-boehner-invites-president-obama-report-state-union |title=State of the Union 2015 |date=December 19, 2014 |work=Speaker Boehner's Press Office}}</ref> ===Invitations=== Every member of Congress can bring one guest to the State of the Union address. The President may invite up to 24 guests with the [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] in her box. The Speaker of the House may invite up to 24 guests in the Speaker’s box. Seating for Congress on the main floor is by a first-in, first-served basis with no reservations. The [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]], [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court justices]], members of the [[Diplomatic Corps]], and the military leaders constituting the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] have reserved seating. ===Protocol of entry into House chamber=== By approximately 8:30&nbsp;pm on the night of the address, the members of the House have gathered in their seats for the joint session.<ref name="CRH414-2010">{{cite journal |url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2010-01-27/pdf/CREC-2010-01-27-pt1-PgH414-6.pdf#page=1 |format= PDF |title= Joint Session of Congress Pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 228 to Receive a Message from the President |work= Congressional Record |date= January 27, 2010 |page= H414}}</ref> Then, the Deputy Sergeant at Arms addresses the Speaker and loudly announces the Vice President and members of the Senate, who enter and take the seats assigned for them.<ref name="CRH414-2010" /> The Speaker, and then the Vice President, specify the members of the House and Senate, respectively, who will escort the President into the House chamber.<ref name="CRH414-2010" /> The Deputy Sergeant at Arms addresses the Speaker again and loudly announces, in order, the [[Dean of the Diplomatic Corps]], the [[Chief Justice of the United States]] and the [[Associate Justice]]s, and the Cabinet, each of whom enters and takes their seats when called.<ref name="CRH414-2010" /> The justices take the seats nearest to the Speaker's rostrum and adjacent to the sections reserved for the Cabinet and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<ref name="CNN2008"/> [[File:Livingood Obama State of the Union 2011.jpg|thumb|The Sergeants at Arms [[Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives|of the House]] (left) and [[Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate|of the Senate]] (right) wait at the doorway to the House chamber before President [[Barack Obama]] enters to deliver the [[2011 State of the Union Address]].]] Just after 9&nbsp;pm, as the President reaches the door to the chamber,<ref name="CRH415-2010">{{cite journal |url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2010-01-27/pdf/CREC-2010-01-27-pt1-PgH414-6.pdf#page=3 |format= PDF |title= Joint Session of Congress Pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 228 to Receive a Message from the President |work= Congressional Record |date= January 27, 2010 |page= H415}}</ref> the [[Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives|House Sergeant at Arms]] stands just inside the doors, faces the Speaker, and waits until the President is ready to enter the chamber.<ref name="CNN2008">{{cite news |url= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0801/28/se.01.html |publisher= CNN |type= Transcript |title= President Delivers State of the Union Address |date= January 28, 2008}}</ref> When the President is ready, the Sergeant at Arms always announces the entrance, loudly stating the phrase: "Mister [or Madam] Speaker, the President of the United States!"<ref name="CRH415-2010" /> As applause and cheering begins, the President slowly walks toward the Speaker's [[Podium|rostrum]], followed by members of the Congressional escort committee.<ref name="CRH415-2010" /> The President's approach is slowed by pausing to shake hands, hug, kiss, and autograph copies of the speech for Members of Congress.<ref name="CNN2008"/> After taking a place at the [[House Clerk]]'s desk,<ref name="CRH415-2010" /> the President hands two [[manila envelope]]s, previously placed on the desk and containing copies of the speech, to the Speaker and Vice President. After continuing applause from the attendees has diminished, the Speaker introduces the President to the Representatives and Senators, stating: "Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States."<ref name="CNN2008" /><ref name="CRH415-2010" /> This leads to a further round of applause and, eventually, the beginning of the address by the President.<ref name="CRH415-2010" /> At close of the ceremony, attendees leave on their own accord. The Sergeants at Arms guides the President out of the Chamber. Some politicians stay to shake hands with and congratulate the President on the way out. ===Designated survivor and other logistics=== Customarily, one cabinet member (the [[designated survivor]]) does not attend the speech, in order to provide continuity in the [[United States presidential line of succession|line of succession]] in the event that a catastrophe disables the President, the Vice President, and other succeeding officers gathered in the House chamber. Additionally, since the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, a few members of Congress have been asked to relocate to undisclosed locations for the duration of the speech to form a [[Rump legislature|rump Congress]] in the event of a disaster.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Roberts|first1=Roxanne|title=The truth behind the ‘designated survivor,’ the president of the post-apocalypse|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-truth-behind-the-designated-survivor-the-official-in-charge-of-the-post-apocalypse/2016/09/20/75201a9e-7a95-11e6-bd86-b7bbd53d2b5d_story.html|accessdate=January 31, 2018|work=Washington Post|date=September 20, 2016}}</ref> Since 2003, each chamber of Congress has formally named a separate designated survivor.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schultheis|first1=Emily|title=Joint session 2017: The history of the "designated survivor"|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joint-session-2017-the-history-of-the-designated-survivor/|accessdate=January 31, 2018|agency=CBS News|date=February 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Oritz|first1=Erik|title=Designated survivors recount nights as doomsday presidents|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2018-state-of-the-union-address/designated-survivors-recount-nights-doomsday-presidents-n720691|accessdate=January 31, 2018|agency=NBC News|date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> {{multiple image | direction = vertical | width = | align=left | footer = | image1 = SOU2007.jpg | alt1 = | caption1 = | image2 = Bush State of the Union 2007.ogg | alt2 = | caption2 = President [[George W. Bush]] with [[President of the Senate|Senate President]] (U.S. Vice President) [[Dick Cheney]] and House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] during the 2007 State of the Union address. 2007 marked the first time that a woman had occupied the Speaker of the House chair. (audio only) | link2 = }} Both the Speaker and the Vice President sit at the Speaker's desk, behind the President for the duration of the speech. If either is unavailable, the next highest-ranking member of the respective house substitutes. Once the chamber settles down from the President's arrival, the Speaker officially presents the President to the joint session of Congress. The President then delivers the speech from the podium at the front of the House Chamber. For the [[2011 State of the Union Address|2011 address]], Senator [[Mark Udall]] of Colorado proposed a break in tradition wherein all members of Congress sit together regardless of party, as well as the avoiding of standing;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47554.html|title=Mark Udall wants parties together at State of the Union|last=Epstein|first=Jennifer|date=January 13, 2011|work=Politico}}</ref> this was in response to the [[2011 Tucson Shooting]] in which Representative [[Gabrielle Giffords]] was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt. This practice was also repeated during the [[2012 State of the Union Address|2012 address]] and every address after.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/21/nation/la-na-congress-civility-20120122|title=Rival parties to mix it up – nicely – at State of the Union|last=Hennessey|first=Kathleen|date=January 21, 2012|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> === Content of the speech === In the State of the Union address, the President traditionally outlines the administration's accomplishments over the previous year, as well as the agenda for the coming year, often in upbeat and optimistic terms.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ted |last=Widmer |title=The State of the Union Is Unreal |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 31, 2006 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/opinion/31widmer.html?ex=1296363600&en=52500d95fa74b0eb&ei=5090 | accessdate = January 22, 2007}}</ref> It has become customary to use the phrase "The State of the Union is strong," sometimes with slight variations, since President [[Ronald Reagan]] introduced it in his 1983 address.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-word-nearly-every-president-uses-to-describe-the-state-of-the-union|title=The word nearly every president uses to describe the state of the union|last=Desjardins|first=Lisa|date=2018-01-30|website=PBS NewsHour|language=en-us|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-02-07}}</ref> It has been repeated by every president in nearly every year since, with the exception of [[George H. W. Bush]].<ref name=":1" /> [[Gerald Ford]]'s 1975 address had been the first to use the phrasing "The State of the Union is...", though Ford completed the sentence with "not good."<ref name=":1" /> Since Reagan's 1982 address, it has also become common for presidents of both parties to honor special guests sitting in the gallery, such as American citizens or visiting [[Head of state|heads of state]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Arrigo |first1=Anthony F. |title=Look out for the ‘Skutnik’ during Trump’s State of the Union |url=https://theconversation.com/look-out-for-the-skutnik-during-trumps-state-of-the-union-109762 |accessdate=4 February 2019 |work=The Conversation US |date=4 February 2019}}</ref> During that 1982 address, Reagan acknowledged [[Lenny Skutnik]] for his act of heroism following the crash of [[Air Florida Flight 90]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/three-decades-of-skutniks-began-with-a-federal-employee/2012/01/24/gIQAricyPQ_story.html |title=Three decades of 'Skutniks' began with a federal employee |first=Ed |last=O'Keefe |newspaper=Washington Post |date=January 24, 2012 |accessdate=January 26, 2012}}</ref> Since then, the term "[[List of Lenny Skutniks|Lenny Skutniks]]" has been used to refer to individuals invited to sit in the gallery, and then cited by the President, during the State of the Union.<ref>{{cite news |title= Small Business Owners Should Be Obama's Lenny Skutnik |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/01/25/small-business-owners-should-be-obamas-lenny-skutnik/ |work=Forbes |first= Addison |last= Wiggin |date= January 25, 2011 |accessdate= January 24, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Bonding">{{cite news |url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0D71639F937A1575BC0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |title= Bonding as New Political Theater: Bring On the Babies and Cue the Yellow Dog |work= The New York Times |first= Francis X. |last= Clines |date= August 24, 1996 |accessdate= January 24, 2012}}</ref> State of the Union speeches usually last a little over an hour, partly because of the large amounts of applause that occur from the audience throughout. The applause is often political in tone, with many portions of the speech being applauded only by members of the President's own party. As non-political officeholders, members of the Supreme Court or the Joint Chiefs of Staff rarely applaud in order to retain the appearance of political impartiality. In recent years, the presiding officers of the House and the Senate, the Speaker and the Vice President, respectively, have departed from the neutrality expected of presiding officers of deliberative bodies, as they, too, stand and applaud in response to the remarks of the President with which they agree. <br />{{clear}} ==Opposition response== {{Main article|Response to the State of the Union address}} Since 1966,<ref name="res">{{cite web | author = Office of the Clerk | title = Opposition Responses to State of the Union Messages (1966–Present) | url = http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/art_artifacts/stateunion.html |publisher= United States House of Representatives | accessdate = January 23, 2007}}</ref> the speech has been followed on television by a response or rebuttal by a member of the major political party opposing the President's party. The response is typically broadcast from a studio with no audience. In 1970, the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] put together a TV program with their speech to reply to President [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]], as well as a televised response to Nixon's written speech in 1973.<ref name="'70s 47">{{cite book |title= How We Got Here: The '70s |last= Frum |first= David |authorlink= David Frum |year=2000 |publisher= Basic Books |location= New York |isbn= 0-465-04195-7 |page= 47 |url=}}</ref> The same was done by Democrats for President Reagan's speeches in 1982 and 1985. The response is not always produced in a studio; in 1997, the Republicans for the first time delivered the response in front of high school students.<ref name="jcwatts">{{cite news |first= Richard E., Jr. |last= Sincere |work= Metro Herald |date= February 1997 |title= O.J., J.C., and Bill: Reflections on the State of the Union |url= http://www.arg-media.com/articles/domestic/dom43.htm |accessdate= January 23, 2007 |quote= Watts told his audience—about 100 high school students from the CloseUp Foundation watched in person, while a smaller number watched on television at home—that he is 'old enough to remember the Jim Crow' laws that affected him and his family while he grew up in a black neighborhood in small-town Oklahoma. |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20020731143540/http://www.arg-media.com/articles/domestic/dom43.htm |archivedate= July 31, 2002}}</ref> In 2010, [[Governor of Virginia|Virginia Governor]] [[Bob McDonnell]] gave the Republican response from the [[Virginia House of Delegates|House of Delegates]] chamber of the [[Virginia State Capitol]] in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], in front of about 250 attendees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012704953.html|title=Virginia Gov. McDonnell gives Republican Party response to State of the Union|last=Kumar|first=Anita|date=2010-01-28|work=The Washington Post|access-date=2019-01-17}}</ref> In 2004, the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]'s response was delivered in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for the first time, by [[Governor of New Mexico|New Mexico Governor]] [[Bill Richardson (politician)|Bill Richardson]].<ref name="spa04">{{cite news |first= Byron |last= York |title= The Democratic Response You Didn’t See |date= January 21, 2004 |url= http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/209216/democratic-response-you-didn-146-t-see |work= National Review |accessdate= January 23, 2007 |quote= And then there was the Spanish-language response—the first ever—delivered by New Mexico governor, and former Clinton energy secretary, Bill Richardson.}}</ref> In 2011, [[Minnesota]] Congresswoman [[Michele Bachmann]] also gave a televised response for the [[Tea Party Express]], a first for a political movement.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/26/AR2011012603412.html | title=Michele Bachmann offers Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union Address | work=[[The Washington Post]] | date=January 26, 2011 | accessdate=15 January 2015}}</ref> ==Significance== Although much of the pomp and ceremony behind the State of the Union address is governed by tradition rather than law, in modern times, the event is seen as one of the most important in the US political calendar. It is one of the few instances when all three branches of the US government are assembled under one roof: members of both houses of [[United States Congress|Congress]] constituting the [[legislature]], the President's [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] constituting the [[Executive (government)|executive]], and the [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] and [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Associate Justices]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] constituting the [[judiciary]]. In addition, the military is represented by the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], while foreign governments are represented by the [[Diplomatic corps|Dean of the Diplomatic Corps]]. The address has also been used as an opportunity to honor the achievements of some ordinary Americans, who are typically invited by the President to sit with the [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]].<ref name="Bonding"/> ==Local versions== Certain states have a similar annual address given by the governor. For most of them, it is called the [[State of the State address]]. In Iowa, it is called the Condition of the State Address; in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the speech is called the State of the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] address. The mayor of Washington, D.C. gives a State of the District address. [[American Samoa]] has a State of the Territory address given by the governor. [[Puerto Rico]] has a State Address given by the governor. In [[Guam]], the governor delivers an annual [[List of Governors of Guam#Powers and Duties|State of the Island Address]]. Some cities or counties also have an annual [[State of the City Address]] given by the mayor, county commissioner or board chair, including [[Sonoma County, California]]; [[Orlando, Florida]]; [[Cincinnati]], Ohio; [[New Haven, Connecticut]]; [[Parma, Ohio]]; Detroit, Michigan; [[Seattle]], Washington; [[Birmingham, Alabama]]; Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; [[Buffalo, New York]]; [[Rochester, New York]]; [[San Antonio]], Texas; [[McAllen, Texas]]; and [[San Diego]], California. The Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in [[Nashville, Tennessee]] gives a speech similar called the State of Metro Address. Some [[university president]]s give a State of the University address at the beginning of every [[academic term]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.unh.edu/president/sotu-2015 |title=UNH State of the University 2015 |date=February 17, 2015 |work=The University of New Hampshire}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.scu.edu/president/publiccommentary/state-of-university-2015.cfm |title=State of the University 2015 |date= February 19, 2015 |work=Santa Clara University}}</ref> Private companies usually have a "State of the Corporation" or "State of the Company" address given by the respective CEO.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.inc.com/jeremy-goldman/why-your-company-deserves-a-state-of-the-union-address.html |title=Why Your Company Deserves a ‘State of the Union’ Address |first=Jeremy |last=Goldman |date=January 20, 2015 |work=Inc.}}</ref> The State of the Union model has also been adopted by the [[European Union]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://euobserver.com/9/30747 |title=EU has survived economic crisis, Barroso says in first State of Union address |date=September 7, 2010 |work=EUobserver.com}}</ref> and in France since the presidency of [[Emmanuel Macron]]. ==Historic speeches== {{unreferenced section|date=January 2018}} [[File:Second Bill of Rights Speech.ogv|thumb|right|250px|Roosevelt's Second Bill of Rights (excerpt)]] *President [[James Monroe]] first stated the [[Monroe Doctrine]] during his seventh annual State of the Union Address to Congress on December 2, 1823. It became a defining moment in the [[foreign policy of the United States]] and one of its longest-standing tenets, and would be invoked by many U.S. statesmen and several U.S. presidents, including [[Theodore Roosevelt]], [[John F. Kennedy]], and [[Ronald Reagan]]. *The [[Four Freedoms]] were goals first articulated by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] on January 6, 1941.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Four+Freedoms+were+goals+first+articulated+by+Franklin+D.+Roosevelt+on+January+6,+1941.&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS809US809&oq=The+Four+Freedoms+were+goals+first+articulated+by+Franklin+D.+Roosevelt+on+January+6,+1941.&aqs=chrome..69i57.2843j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8|title=The Four Freedoms were goals first articulated by Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941. - Google Search|website=www.google.com|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech, he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy: [[freedom of speech]] and expression, [[freedom of worship]], [[freedom from want]], and freedom from fear. *During his State of the Union Address on January 11, 1944, FDR proposed the [[Second Bill of Rights]]. Roosevelt's argument was that the "political rights" guaranteed by the constitution and the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]] had "proved inadequate to assure us equality in the [[pursuit of happiness]]". *During his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson introduced legislation that would come to be known as the "[[War on Poverty]]". This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent. The speech led the [[United States Congress]] to pass the [[Economic Opportunity Act]], which established the [[Office of Economic Opportunity]] (OEO) to administer the local application of federal funds targeted against poverty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/civil-rights-tax-cuts-and-the-war-on-poverty|title=President Lyndon Johnson's 1964 State of the Union Address called for a war on poverty - LBJ Presidential Library|website=www.lbjlibrary.org|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> *During his State of the Union address on January 15, 1975, [[Gerald_Ford|Gerald R. Ford]] very bluntly stated that "the state of the Union is not good: Millions of Americans are out of work... We depend on others for essential energy. Some people question their Government's ability to make hard decisions and stick with them; they expect Washington politics as usual." Ford said he didn't "expect much if any, applause. The American people want action, and it will take both the Congress and the President to give them what they want. Progress and solutions can be achieved, and they will be achieved."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/speeches/750028.asp|title=Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum|website=www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> [[File: Bush State of the Union 2002.ogg|thumb|right|George W. Bush delivers the 2002 State of the Union]] *In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President [[George W. Bush]] identified North Korea, Iran, and Iraq as representing significant threats to the United States. He said, "States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an [[axis of evil]], arming to threaten the peace of the world". In this speech, he would outline the objectives for the [[War on Terror]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html|title=President Delivers State of the Union Address|website=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref> {{clear}} == TV ratings == Television ratings for recent State of the Union Addresses were:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2019/nearly-47-million-viewers-watch-president-trumps-state-of-the-union-address.html|title=2019 State of The Union Address TV Ratings|date=2019-02-06|newspaper=Nielsen|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2018/viewers-watch-president-trump-s-state-of-the-union-2018.html|title=2018 State of The Union Address TV Ratings|date=2018-01-31|newspaper=Nielsen|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2017/nearly-48-million-americans-watch-president-donald-trumps-first-address-to-congress.html|title=2017 State of The Union Address TV Ratings|date=2017-02-28|newspaper=Nielsen|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref><ref name=nielsen>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2016/31-3-million-viewers-tune-in-to-watch-pres-obamas-state-of-the-union-address.html|title=2016 State of The Union Address TV Ratings|date=2016-01-13|newspaper=Nielsen|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" !Date !class="unsortable"|President !Viewers, millions !Households, millions !Rating !class="unsortable"|Networks |- |[[2019 State of the Union Address|2/5/2019]]<ref>[https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/12319-3/ Pelosi Sends Letter to President Trump on the State of the Union Address]</ref> |[[Donald Trump]] |46.789 |33.616 |28.0 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION, CNN, CNNe, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, MSNBC, PBS |- |[[2018 State of the Union Address|1/30/2018]] |[[Donald Trump]] |45.551 |32.168 |26.9 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESTRELLA, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION, CNN, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, MSNBC, PBS |- |[[Donald Trump speech to joint session of Congress, February 2017|2/28/2017]]^{{dagger}} |[[Donald Trump]] |47.741 |33.857 |28.7 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UNIVISION, PBS, CNN, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, MSNBC, NBC UNIVERSO |- |[[2016 State of the Union Address|1/12/2016]] |[[Barack Obama]] |31.334 |23.040 |19.6 |ABC, AL JAZEERA AMERICA, AZTECA, CBS, CNN, FOX, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, GALAVISION, MSNBC, NBC, NBC UNIVERSO, UNIVISION** |- |[[2015 State of the Union Address|1/20/2015]] |[[Barack Obama]] |31.710 |23.137 |19.9 |ABC, AL JAZEERA AMERICA, AZTECA, CBS, CNN, FOX, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, GALAVISION, MSNBC, MUNDOFOX, NBC, UNIVISION** |- |[[2014 State of the Union Address|1/28/2014]] |[[Barack Obama]] |33.299 |23.949 |20.7 |CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, AZTECA, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, AL JAZEERA AMERICA, GALAVISION, MUN2, UNIVISION** |- |[[2013 State of the Union Address|2/12/2013]] |[[Barack Obama]] |33.497 |24.767 |21.8 |FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, AZTECA, UNIVISION, MFX, CNBC, CNN, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, MSNBC, CURRENT, CENTRIC, GALAVISION |- |[[2012 State of the Union Address|1/24/2012]] |[[Barack Obama]] |37.752 |27.569 |24.0 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TELEMUNDO, TF, UNIVISION, CNBC, CNN, FOX BUSINESS, FOXNC, GALAVISION, MSNBC, MUN2 |- |[[2011 State of the Union Address|1/25/2011]] |[[Barack Obama]] |42.789 |30.871 |26.6 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION, CNN, CENTRIC, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[2010 State of the Union Address|1/27/2010]] |[[Barack Obama]] |48.009 |34.182 |29.8 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION, CNN, BET, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, February 2009|2/24/2009]]^{{dagger}} |[[Barack Obama]] |52.373 |37.185 |32.5 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION |- |[[2008 State of the Union Address|1/28/2008]] |[[George W. Bush]] |37.515 |27.702 |24.7 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO**, UNIVISION |- |[[2007 State of the Union Address|1/24/2007]] |[[George W. Bush]] |45.486 |32.968 |29.6 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION |- |[[2006 State of the Union Address|1/31/2006]] |[[George W. Bush]] |43.179 |30.528 |31.2 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, AZTECA AMERICA, TELFUTURA |- |[[2005 State of the Union Address|2/02/2005]] |[[George W. Bush]] |39.432 |28.359 |35.3 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, TELEFUTURA |- |[[2004 State of the Union Address|1/20/2004]] |[[George W. Bush]] |43.411 |30.286 |28.0 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[2003 State of the Union Address|1/28/2003]] |[[George W. Bush]] |62.061 |41.447 |38.8 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[2002 State of the Union Address|1/29/2002]] |[[George W. Bush]] |51.773 |35.547 |33.6 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |2/27/2001^{{dagger}} |[[George W. Bush]] |39.793 |28.201 |27.6 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[2000 State of the Union Address|1/27/2000]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |31.478 |22.536 |22.4 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[1999 State of the Union Address|1/19/1999]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |43.500 |30.700 |31.0 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC |- |[[1998 State of the Union Address|1/27/1998]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |53.077 |36.513 |37.2 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, CNBC |- |[[1997 State of the Union Address|2/04/1997]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |41.100 |27.600 |28.4 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN |- |[[1996 State of the Union Address|1/23/1996]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |40.900 |28.400 |29.6 |ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN |- |[[1995 State of the Union Address|1/24/1995]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |42.200 |28.100 |29.5 |ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN |- |[[1994 State of the Union Address|1/25/1994]] |[[Bill Clinton]] |45.800 |31.000 |32.9 |ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN |- |2/17/1993^{{dagger}} |[[Bill Clinton]] |66.900 |41.200 |44.3 |ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN |} ;Notes :^{{dagger}} The 1993, 2001, [[Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, February 2009|2009]] and [[Donald Trump speech to joint session of Congress, February 2017|2017]] addresses were not, officially, State of the Union addresses, but rather addresses to a joint session of Congress because in those years the presidents were in office for only a few weeks at the time the speech was given.<ref name=CNN/><ref name=nielsen/> :: **Tape delayed<ref name=nielsen/> ==See also== *[[List of joint sessions of the United States Congress]] *[[State Opening of Parliament]] *[[Weekly Radio Address of the President of the United States|United States presidential address]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|State of the Union}} {{Wikisource|Portal:State of the Union Speeches by United States Presidents}} * [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php The American Presidency Project: State of the Union Messages] "Established in 1999 as a collaboration between John Woolley and Gerhard Peters at the University of California, Santa Barbara," currently (January 2010), the APP "archives contain 87,448 documents related to the study of the Presidency". * [http://www.c-span.org/search/?sdate=&edate=&searchtype=Videos&sort=Least+Recent+Event&text=0&tagid%5B%5D=2109&show100= State of the Union videos and transcripts] at C-SPAN (since 1945) * [http://stateoftheunion.onetwothree.net State of the Union] (Visualizations, statistical analysis, and searchable texts) * [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5050 State of the Union Addresses of American Presidents (1790–2002)] (in downloadable electronic file formats) * [http://www.usa-presidents.info/union/ State of the Union Addresses of American Presidents (1790–2006)] (HTML format) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090227054902/http://www.speechwars.com/sou/index.php Searchable visualizations of all State of the Union Addresses of American Presidents (1790–2009)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090225175013/http://www.gpoaccess.gov/sou/index.html The State of the Union] text and PDF at U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) from January 28, 1992 to current date * [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/lists/top_10_state_of_the_union_addresses/introduction.html?state=play Top 10 State of the Union Addresses], ''RealClearPolitics.com'' * {{YouTube|JOas-vuAbG0|The 2013 State of the Union Address}} (1:01:02) {{State of the Union}} [[Category:Article Two of the United States Constitution]] [[Category:State of the Union addresses| ]] [[Category:1790 establishments in the United States]] [[Category:Speeches by heads of state]] [[Category:Annual events in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]]'