The State of the Union (SOTU) address is a communication between the Pres. and Congress in which the chief executive reports on the current conditions of the U.S. and provides policy proposals for the upcoming legislative year. Contents of this report: (1) Overview; (2) Historical Perspective; (3) Tradition and Ceremony; (4) Common Elements: The Sequence of Arguments; Recurring Themes: Past and the Future; Bipartisanship; (5) Policy Impact: Progression of Pres. Term: First Year Addresses; Midterm Addresses; Election Year Addresses; Second Term Addresses; Legislative Success and Policy Proposals; (6) Opposition Response; (7) Concluding Thoughts. Illustrations. This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication.

Modern presidents regularly appeal over the heads of Congress to the people at large to generate support for public policies. The Rhetorical Presidency makes the case that this development, born at the outset of the twentieth century, is the product of conscious political choices that fundamentally transformed the presidency and the meaning of American governance. Now with a new foreword by Russell Muirhead and a new afterword by the author, this landmark work probes political pathologies and analyzes the dilemmas of presidential statecraft. Extending a tradition of American political writing that begins with The Federalist and continues with Woodrow Wilson’s Congressional Government, The Rhetorical Presidency remains a pivotal work in its field.

?A rich, thoughtful, and systematic look at the rhetoric and evolving impact of state of the union addresses.... invaluable." ?Bryan W. Marshall, Miami University ?An excellent, well-researched, persuasive contribution to the growing study of presidential rhetoric and policy agendas.? ?Sean J. Savage, St. Mary's College?Fills a significant void in the study of presidential leadership?. an impressive examination of the history, development, execution, and policy significance of the State of the Union address.? ?Joseph Cammarano, Providence College The State of the Union is no ordinary speech on at least two accounts: it is a fundamental statement of how a president approaches current policy debates, and it is the one presidential address that US citizens are most likely to hear each year. Donna Hoffman and Alison Howard document the political significance and legislative impact?or often, lack of impact?of this most visible of presidential communications.Exploring how and why the State of the Union address came to be a key tool in the exercise of presidential power, the authors outline the ways presidents use it to gain attention, to communicate with target audiences, and to make specific policy proposals. Their richly textured analysis offers a penetrating look at the complex relationship between contemporary presidential leadership and Congressional lawmaking. Donna R. Hoffman is assistant professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa. Alison D. Howard is adjunct instructor of political science at Dominican University of California.Contents: Donning the Hat of Chief Legislator. The State of the Union Address Through Time. No Ordinary Speech. The President as Chief Legislator. Ask and Ye Shall Receive? Conclusion.

The 1790 State of the Union Address was given by President George Washington in New York City. It was the first annual address given by a president in the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall. Excerpt: "great satisfaction from a cooperation with you in the pleasing though arduous task of insuring to our fellow citizens the blessings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient, and equal government."

The following book collates State of the Union Addresses delivered by the 40th U.S. president, Ronald Reagan, who was the first to begin the tradition. The State of the Union Address is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current condition of the nation. It generally includes reports on the nation's budget, economy, news, agenda, achievements and the president's priorities and legislative proposals.