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| <div style="float:right; margin-left:1em;">]<br><small>''] delivers his State of the Union address on Jan. 28, 2003.''</small></div> | |||
| The '''State of the Union Address''' is the annual event where the ] of the ] normally speaks to a joint session of the ] (the ] and the ]), about the status of the country. | |||
| Modeled after the ], the requirement for the address is written into the ]: | |||
| :''"The President 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."'' (], Section 3) | |||
| This requirement has been interpreted differently by Presidents since the founding of the country, and as a result, the manner of the address has changed over time. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| The first address was made by ] on ], ] in ], the first U.S. capital. In ], ] discontinued the practice of delivering the address in person, regarding it as too ] (and perhaps due to the fact that he had a raspy voice). Until ], when ] re-established the practice despite some initial controversy, the address was instead written and then sent to Congress to be read by a clerk. | |||
| For many years, the speech was referred to as "the President's Annual Message to Congress." The actual term "State of the Union" did not become widely used until after ] when ] began using the phrase. | |||
| ]'s ] speech was the first to be broadcast on ]. ]'s ] address was the first to be broadcast on ]. ]'s address in ] was the first delivered in the evening. ]'s ] address was the first broadcast available live on the ]. | |||
| ==The speech== | |||
| In the State of the Union the President traditionally outlines his administration's political agenda for the coming year in upbeat and optimistic terms. At some point during the speech, the President usually says '''The State of our Union is strong''' or a very similar phrase. In recent years it has also become common for the President to acknowledge special guests in the sitting near the ] in the gallery, such as everyday Americans, or visiting ]. The guests are usually relevant to some part of the President's speech. | |||
| The President's presence upon entering the House chamber is ceremoniously announced by the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives. The President delivers the speech (with the aid of a ]) from a podium at the front of the House chamber, and behind him sit the ] (in his capacity as President of the Senate) and the ]. If either is unavailable, the next highest-ranking member of the ] takes his or her place. Sitting near the fron are the members of the ], the Justices of the ], and the members of the ]. Customarily, one cabinet member does not attend, in order to provide continuity in the line of succession in the event that a catastrophe disables the President, the Vice President, and other succeeding officers gathered in the House chamber. | |||
| State of the Union speeches usually last a little over an hour. Part of the length of the speech is due to the large amounts of ] that occur from the audience throughout. The applause is somewhat political in tone, with many portions of the speech only being applauded by members of the President's own party. Applause indicates support, while applause with a standing ovation indicates enthusiastic support. | |||
| Prior to ] the annual message was delivered in ]. The ratification of ] on ], ] 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. | |||
| Today, the speech is typically delivered on the last Tuesday in ], although there is no such provision written in law, and it varies from year to year. Since 1966, the President's speech has been followed by an opposition response or rebuttal from members of the President's opposing political party. | |||
| == External links == | |||
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