The State of the “state of the Union” Speech

“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 judgenecessary and expedient.” – Article II Section 3, of the Constitution of the United States.

When the Constitution was written and ratified the country that we know today was very different. To create a new government our founding fathers had to use what was available to them for inspiration. In the 1700’s the King of England made regular speeches to Parliament, and so some felt it was only fitting that the President of the United States do the same. Today, near the end of January, many people clear their schedules and make time to watch what is one of the most important speeches in politics.

However, in the time of Washington and Adams, there wasn’t a specific day of the year to give the speech. For instance, George Washington gave his first ‘State of the Union’ speech on January 8, 1790. Usually, we only get one speech in a year. However, in 1790 Washington gave two, the second speech on December 8th. Washington gave a total of eight speeches and John Adams gave four speeches, all of them on different days.

When Thomas Jefferson took office, he felt that giving the speeches to Congress was too close to the way the King of England would give his ‘Speeches from the Throne’, he discontinued the practice. Instead he would have the speeches written out and sent to Congress. Where a clerk would read the speeches into the Congressional record.

Up until Woodrow Wilson, each President would conduct the ‘State of the Union’ in this manner. In 1916, Wilson re-established the practice of delivering the speech to Congress in person. The Presidents following Wilson took it upon themselves to either deliver the speech in person or have it sent to Congress to be read by a clerk. The last President to send the speech to Congress was Jimmy Carter.

Since Jimmy Carter, every President has given the speech himself. Each speech since has been delivered in the last week of January or first week of February. Since Ronald Reagan’s first term, the first speech of a new President has not been classified as a ‘State of the Union’ speech.