Transcript The State of the Union

The State of the Union
What is it?
 The president’s agenda-setting speech given to a
Joint Session of Congress
 Happens in January, after Congress returns from
Christmas Break
 The president first assesses where we are as a
nation, then lays out the path he would like us to
take in the year ahead
 Sort of a National New Years Resolution
 Usually it’s the most important political speech of
the year.
 1787: Article II Section 3 of the Constitution
states, “He [the president] shall from time to
time give Congress information of the State
of the Union and recommend to their
consideration such measures as he shall deem
necessary and expedient.”
 1790: President George Washington delivers
the first “annual message of the
president”
 1801: Thomas Jefferson, believing the
tradition of speaking to Congress was too
“royal,” sends his annual message in a letter.
The written tradition continues for over a
century.
 1823: President James Monroe sends a letter
to Congress which outlines the Monroe
Doctrine opposing European intervention in
the Americas.
 1862: As Civil War battles rage, Abraham
Lincoln sends his famous “last best hope”
annual message to Congress.
 …we cannot escape history. … We know how to save the
Union. … We … hold the power, and bear the
responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure
freedom to the free -- … We shall nobly save, or meanly lose,
the last best hope of earth. … The way is plain, peaceful,
generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will
forever applaud, and God must forever bless.
 1913: Woodrow Wilson revives the tradition
of delivering the annual message in a speech
to Congress
 1945: Franklin Roosevelt’s speech formally
becomes known as “The State of the
Union”
 1965: As the power of TV becomes
increasingly clear, Lyndon Johnson shifts the
State of the Union address from midday to
evening to attract a larger audience
 1986: The State of the Union is postponed
for the first time after the space shuttle
Challenger explodes the morning of the
scheduled address
 1999: President Clinton delivers a State of the
Union address to a House of Representatives
that has just impeached him and a Senate
considering his removal from office.
 2002: In the first State of the Union address
after September 11, 2001, President Bush
introduces his famous/infamous “axis of
evil” (Iraq, Iran & North Korea)
Random things about the State of the
Union Ms. Bridges finds funny….
 Democrats and Republicans sit on opposite sides of
the room, so watching who applauds for what,
especially if we are talking standing ovation, can be
interesting
 The Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Court
Justices sit in the front. Since these positions are
supposed to be “above politics,” what they clap and
don’t clap for can also be interesting
Random things about the State of the
Union Ms. Bridges finds funny….
 Since gathering all the important political figures in
one room makes a great target for a terrorist attack,
one member of the president’s cabinet is picked to
stay behind in a secure location…. just in case. They
are known as the “designated survivor”. How
creepy is that?!
 What the First Lady wears is always the focus of a
bizarre amount of attention.
Random things about the State of the
Union Ms. Bridges finds funny….
 Recent presidents have invited a guest of honor they
want to highlight in their speech. This person is
seated with the First Lady. The selections are
random – one time it was the woman who started
the Baby Einstein company??
 The Sergeant at Arms announcement of the
President’s arrival…. Come on … it’s a least a little
bit funny 
Random things about the State of the
Union Ms. Bridges finds funny….
 Inevitably important political figures sigh,
nap, roll their eyes, text, or emphatically
shake their heads “no”. This is, of course,
always caught on camera.
Homework for the Rest of Your Life:
 Vote!


When: The first Tuesday in November
Reminder: When you start to make your
Thanksgiving plans, it’s time to think about voting
 Watch the State of the Union
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When: 2nd or 3rd Week in January
Reminder: When people start talking about the
Super Bowl, it’s time to listen for the date