 "State of the Union: What’s the history behind the US president’s speech?")
Washington, DC is all gearing up for what is called the biggest night in American politics. Ironically, some also call it the dullest night of the year in television. What are we talking about? It’s The State of the Union, an annual address the US president delivers before a joint session of Congress.
This year’s State of the Union, which will be delivered by Joe Biden today (7 March), assumes even more significance, as the country is all set for the presidential polls to be held in November.
Ahead of the event, here’s a look at some State of the Union history.
What is the State of the Union?
The US Constitution’s Article II, Section 3 states: 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.”
Though the language of the Constitution did not define “time to time,” President George Washington established the precedent that it would be an annual report.
Who delivered the first State of the Union address?
That honour is held by George Washington. On 8 January 1790, stood up in in Federal Hall in New York City and delivered the State of the Union in a speech, as is done today. He addressed a variety of topics including national defence, foreign policy, economics and education.
According to an NPR report, it was a short speech; Washington limited himself to fewer than 1,100 words and got through them all in about 10 minutes.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDoes it always have to be a speech?
The short answer is no. For his first address on 8 December 1801, Thomas Jefferson sent written copies to both houses of Congress to be read by each chamber’s clerks. Jefferson wanted to simplify what he believed was an aristocratic imitation of the British monarch’s speech from the throne, which he thought ill-suited for a republic. The practice of sending written copies to Congress continued for more than a century.
Woodrow Wilson later resumed the tradition of delivering the annual message in person on 8 April 1913. He’s also credited with transforming the speech from a report on executive branch activity into a blueprint for the president’s legislative agenda for the year.
When did it become known as the State of the Union address?
It’s important to note here that it wasn’t always called the State of the Union address. Initially, it was called the president’s “Annual Message” to Congress. It was Franklin D Roosevelt in the 1930s who use the phrase “State of the Union” and since then it has become a popular term.
Has the speech been affected by technology?
US president Calvin Coolidge delivered the first speech broadcast on radio in 1923. Harry Truman’s address in 1947 was the first broadcast on television. Lyndon B Johnson recognised the importance of having a national audience when he moved the speech from mid-afternoon to 9 pm in 1965 to attract the largest number of TV viewers. George W Bush’s 2002 speech was the first available as a live webcast on the White House website.
Is there a State of the Union speech every year?
No. Recent presidents — Ronald Reagan in 1981, George HW Bush in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993, George W Bush in 2001, Barack Obama in 2009, Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021 — did not give an official State of the Union address their first year in office. That speech would have come soon after their inaugural addresses. However, many of them still gave a major speech to Congress soon after their inauguration.
Has it always been delivered in person since Wilson resumed it?
No. Harry Truman sent his final message in print, as did Dwight Eisenhower in 1961 and Jimmy Carter in 1981. As Eisenhower recovered from a heart attack in 1956, he prepared a seven-minute, filmed summary of the message from his retreat in Key West, Florida, that was broadcast nationwide. Richard Nixon sent a printed message in 1973; his staff said an oral message would have come too soon after his second inaugural address.
Which presidents didn’t deliver a State of the Union message?
William Henry Harrison, who died 32 days after his inauguration in 1841, and James A Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881 after 199 days in office.
With inputs from AP
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
