Read about the State of the Union, also known as the SOTU address. Learn the definition of SOTU, explore its history and purpose, and understand its working. See the importance of the President's State of the Union Address. Updated: 11/21/2023
The State of the Union Address | Definition, Purpose & History
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the phrase State of the Union mean?
The phrase "State of the Union" means the status of the state or nation. State of the Union refers to the annual address given by the U.S. president to Congress about the nation's goals, accomplishments, health, and more.
What is the purpose of the State of the Union address?
The purpose of the State of the Union address is to receive updates from the president on the status of the nation. The president speaks before a joint session of Congress to discuss the goals, accomplishments, and needs of the country. American citizens are also addressed directly in the SOTU, since the early-mid 1900s. The SOTU also fulfills the requirements of Article II, Section III, Clause I of the US Constitution.
Table of Contents
- What is the State of the Union Address?
- History of the State of the Union Address
- Why is the President's State of the Union Address Important?
- Lesson Summary
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The State of the Union (SOTU) address is given by the U.S. president at the start of every year, with the exception of a president's very first year in the first term served. That very first speech is just an address to a joint meeting or session of Congress and is not officially defined as a State of the Union Address.
The SOTU, which is short for "State of Union," is given to the U.S. Congress during an official joint session, including both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The State of the Union address provides the presidential administration's goals, plans, and updates on the nation.
What is the Purpose of the State of the Union Address?
Overall, the purpose of the SOTU address is for the president to officially meet with Congress and outline the nation's goals, priorities, and foreign and domestic issues. The president may also make recommendations based on the perceived current needs of the country.
The State of the Union address also meets the requirements of Article II, Section 3, Clause I of the US Constitution. Essentially, the clause states that the U.S. President shall give Congress information on the status of the country every so often.
Who Attends the State of the Union?
Interestingly, the President must be invited to the State of the Union address, as a formal way to acknowledge the separation of powers. The speaker of the House of Representatives (one-half of Congress) sends the invitation. Other attendees of the SOTU address include:
- Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including some former members
- Current and former members of the U.S. Senate
- Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Presidential Cabinet members, with the exclusion of at least one secretary
- Supreme Court Justices
- Diplomatic Corps which include various diplomats or ambassadors representing other nations
- Ticket holders may be seated in the House Gallery area; the Sergeant of Arms of the House coordinates tickets and introduces the President
- Personal guests of the president (seated in the Gallery area)
Where Does the State of the Union Take Place?
The SOTU takes place during official working joint sessions of Congress, not to be confused with the more informal joint meetings. State of the Union addresses are not given during the first year of a new president's term, but a new president may make a speech at a Congressional joint meeting.
Before the nation's capital moved to Washington, D.C., the Annual Message, which was the precursor to the SOTU, was given in the Senate Chamber. Since then, the meeting has been held in Washington, D.C. The SOTU is now given in the House Chamber at the Capitol building. The House resolution decides the date and time for a Joint Session of Congress, in which the president is to deliver the Address. The Speaker of the House of Representatives officially invites the president to come to speak before Congress at the decided date and time.
Prior to 1934, the Annual Message was given by the U.S. president every December. After 1934, the Annual Message or SOTU has been given every January or February at the Congressionally approved date and time. The wording in Article II Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution is vague on the exact dates and times the SOTU should be given, but Congress makes the ultimate decision on the date and time.
What Time is the State of the Union Address?
In the past several decades, the SOTU has been broadcast for the American people, so it is important for the SOTU to occur at a reasonable time for the majority of Americans. For this reason, it has often been held at 9:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Many major American news stations will show the speech live.
How Long are State of the Union Addresses?
There is no required length for the SOTU, but most Presidents have spoken for about one hour. This includes breaks for applause and other interruptions.
The shortest SOTU address, in terms of time for delivery, was President Richard Nixon's 1972 address, which only took 28 minutes and 55 seconds. The longest address was delivered by President Bill Clinton in 2000: his speech took 1 hour, 28 minutes, and 49 seconds. Neither of these is reflective of the shortest or longest speeches by word count.
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Since George Washington delivered his First Annual Message to Congress, all U.S. presidents who followed have delivered, either in-person or via letter, annual speeches or State of the Union Addresses. Washington set the precedent to hold future presidents accountable to Congress and to the American people by relaying updates and goals in the SOTU Address. Specifically, the SOTU Address should provide an outline of the president's legislative goals for the year and outline the executive's stance on the state of the union.
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The State of the Union Address was simply called the "Annual Message" from 1790-1946. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to use the term "State of the Union," popularizing it by 1942. Then, the State of the Union address became the official title, replacing the old "Annual Message" name by 1947. There have been 97 in-person addresses from 1970-2020.
By the 19th century, the presidential address included budget and economic updates, as well as administrative reports on the executive departments. But by the 20th century, legislators desired more comprehensive reports for both, so official budget and economic reports were separated from the SOTU. These are now referred to as the Budget Message and Economic Report, respectively.
Opposition speeches from other parties not in the presidential position began in 1966 when T.V. networks gave the Republican party a half-hour time slot to counter the presidential SOTU address. Senator Everett Dirksen and Representative Gerald Ford spoke during the very first one of 1966. Every year since then, T.V. networks have provided the opposition party time for a response to the president's SOTU, which typically occurs immediately after the SOTU. Opposition parties use this platform to rebut, fact-check, and gather support for their bases via their speeches.
A Few Notable State of the Union Addresses
- Abraham Lincoln's 1862 address focused on what it would take to end the Civil War and keep the Union together. He spoke on the importance of emancipating the enslaved.
- In Franklin Roosevelt's 1941 address, he spoke on the threats to U.S. national security and other democracies around the world due to World War I. FDR conveyed a plan to assist allies in the war and spoke of "Four Freedoms" everyone in the world should have, including freedoms of speech and worship, and freedoms from fear and want.
- George W. Bush's 2002 address was given about four months after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Bush shared plans on how to approach and address the war on terror and the "Axis of Evil" present in the world. This included countries possessing or seeking weapons of mass destruction as well as aiding or practicing terrorism.
Other Key Historical Moments of the SOTU:
- The First Annual Message by George Washington combined his Annual Message with his Inaugural Address on April 30, 1789. He then delivered the first regular Annual Message to Congress on Jan 8, 1790. Washington delivered his address to the Senate Chamber in New York City's Federal Hall. He discussed the development of key structures in the new U.S. government, including currency, troops, infrastructure, etc. Washington set a precedent for future presidents to annually provide updates to Congress on the health and goals of the nation.
- In 1801, Jefferson decided to write the Annual Message in a letter format, forgoing an in-person address to Congress. He thought an in-person presidential address was too much like the British monarch giving a speech before Parliament.
- After 1913, Woodrow Wilson brought back the practice of giving the address to Congress in person. Delivering an in-person speech created a platform for the president to gain additional support for his administration's agenda. Wilson's 1919 Annual Message was the first to be sent via telegraph.
- The general public used to hear about SOTU agendas and details through the newspaper, but technological advancements led to the president being able to directly address American citizens via radio, TV, and the web.
- President Calvin Coolidge was the first to address the nation live via radio broadcast.
- Harry Truman was the first president to deliver a televised broadcast to the nation.
- President George W. Bush was the first to deliver his SOTU over a live webcast.
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The SOTU is an important American tradition because the president speaks directly to American citizens and addresses Congress. The address provides a connection between the Commander-in-Chief, the rest of the government, and the people of the nation. American citizens have the opportunity to watch, listen, or read the SOTU nowadays, and remain informed on the country's status and where it may be heading. One of the goals of a democratic government is a well-informed and active populace, and the SOTU helps meet that goal by keeping citizens informed.
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The State of the Union Address means an annual speech given by the U.S. president to a joint session of Congress. Article II Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution calls for a SOTU from the president every so often. The actual SOTU may be given by the president as a speech, a letter, or both, but specifically addresses the U.S. Congress. Contents of the speech should at least include the president's legislative goals for the upcoming year and the executive's beliefs and position on the state of the union.
Prior to 1942, the SOTU was simply known as the "Annual Message." Roosevelt popularized the term "State of the Union," which was made the official term in 1947. Usually taking place immediately after a SOTU address, opposition speeches from the non-presidential party are provided airtime on T.V. networks; these originated in 1966. The SOTU serves as an important tradition and informational address to both Congress and U.S. citizens.
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Video Transcript
So, How Is the Union?
Have you ever seen a president give a State of the Union Address? Maybe you have watched in school before or seen highlights on the news. Though sometimes confusing, the speech plays an important role in communication between the executive and legislative branches of our government. While they can be lengthy, they are purposeful. Actually, in his final State of the Union Address given in January 2016, President Barack Obama said, to laughter and applause, ''And for this final one, I'm going to try to make it a little shorter.''
The State of the Union Address is a speech that's delivered annually by the president to the U.S. Congress. Exceptions to various parts of this definition have occurred as you're about to learn.
Why is it given? What is its purpose? This lesson goes over the law, history, and purpose of the State of the Union.
Early History
Believe it or not, U.S. law makes the State of the Union address mandatory. Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution states that the president shall ''from time to time 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.''
Yet the phrase ''time to time'' is a bit vague. Should that be every month? Every four years? Well, George Washington, our nation's first president, established a precedent. With rare exception, the State of the Union address has been given once a year since 1790. However, this is not a legal requirement, only a precedent.
And even though Washington gave a speech, what's interesting to note is that this address need not be a speech. From 1790-1800, the address was a speech. Between 1801 and 1912, the State of the Union was a lengthy written report that was sent to a new session of Congress. Between 1913 and 1933, some presidents gave a speech, others gave written reports, and some did one or the other throughout their presidency. Since 1913, however, the purpose of the speech (or report) has been to inform the U.S. Congress of the president's legislative agenda for the next year. The State of the Union message also outlines the executive branch's view of the state of the union.
Modern History
It's really only since 1933 that the speech, as opposed to a written report, has become standard. That being said, a few exceptions have occurred since 1933, where the president has only given a written message to Congress instead of delivering a speech via public radio and/or television to the entire nation instead.
While nowadays the speech is given in January, prior to 1934 it was actually given in December, with the opening of Congress. During the speech, some members of the political elite are always absent. But why would a member of Congress not be present?
During the State of the Union Address, the nation's entire government is sitting in one room listening to the president. If some catastrophe were to occur, there would be no senior member left to take charge of the country. Thus, at least one member of the president's cabinet and two members of each house of Congress from each party, are absent. They are placed in a secure location away from the Capitol to ensure as smooth a transition of power as possible in the event of an emergency.
Memorable Addresses
There have been some notable and memorable State of the Union Addresses during the history of the United States:
In his 1862 State of the Union Address, Abraham Lincoln said: ''The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. … In giving freedom to the slave we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve. We shall nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just- a way which if followed the world will forever applaud and God must forever bless.''
In his 1941 State of the Union Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt said: ''In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way - everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want - which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants - everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear - which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor - anywhere in the world.''
In his 2002 State of the Union Address, George W. Bush said: ''States like these (North Korea, Iran, and Iraq), and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic.''
Lesson Summary
The State of the Union Address is a speech that's delivered annually, in January, by the president to the U.S. Congress. U.S. law makes the State of the Union address mandatory. Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution states that the president shall ''from time to time 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.''
George Washington established a precedent that it should be an annual message, but this is not a legal requirement. Throughout its history, the State of the Union address has been either delivered as a speech or a written message, sometimes both. It's only since 1933 that giving an annual speech has become the norm, as opposed to writing a report. The purpose of the speech is to inform the U.S. Congress (and nation) of the president's legislative agenda for the next year and to addresses the executive branches' view of the state of the nation.
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The State of the Union Address | Definition, Purpose & History
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