Washington’s Precedent, Our Tradition

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have separated them with another and remember that this Union is only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

According to Thomas Jefferson and Albus Dumbledore, anyway.

The Purpose of the State of the Union

Imagine for a second that you’re a football player (and if you don’t know anything about football then just pick an inspirational football movie), and you’re in the middle of a really challenging game. It’s halftime, the marching band is on the field performing another amazing show while the cheerleaders and mascot are doing a routine on the sidelines.

The coach pulls you into the locker room to give a rousing pep talk, highlighting your successful touchdowns, encouraging your defense, supporting your offense. The coach starts talking about the losses, laying out a plan for better blocks, better plays.

“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have,” he says, and you and your teammates walk onto the field revitalized and ready to conquer.

Similarly, the State of the Union Address is a pep talk of sorts. The president uses the time to highlight successes of the past year and lay the groundwork for continued improvement in the days ahead. Though the speech can become political at times, the overall purpose is to unite and encourage the nation and provide an update of the current “state of the Union.”

In the Beginning…

The United States Constitution is a relatively vague document, all things considered. The founders often left details unspecified, and it has been up to the three branches to create meaning within those parameters. For example, the Supreme Court was the weakest of the three branches until the landmark Marbury v. Madison decision in 1803 established judicial review and the ability of the courts to rule legislation unconstitutional.

Many practices in American government are traditions. Term limits, for instance, weren’t regulated until after Franklin Delano Roosevelt died at the beginning of his fourth term. George Washington set the precedent of two limit terms, and everyone (minus FDR) simply followed his lead.

Likewise, the State of the Union Address as we know it today is a relatively new tradition in United States’ history. Its only mention in the Constitution reads as follows:

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.”

Article II, Section 3 – United States Constitution

Like term limits, cabinet appointments, and the democratic title “Mr. President,” George Washington established precedents for how the president of the United States leads from the executive office.

Washington’s first Annual Message

The Annual Message

January 8th, 1790, Washington stood before Congress and delivered the first Annual Message (it wasn’t formally called the State of the Union until later) in the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall in New York City (then the capitol of the United States). As there wasn’t a blueprint for Washington’s speech, he highlighted the accomplishments of the first Congress and outlined legislative priorities for the following year. His next address, nearly a year later, established the State of the Union as an annual event, given in November or December until 1934 when the 20th amendment moved the beginning of the Congress to January.

Thomas Jefferson, the third president, broke tradition a few years later and chose instead to deliver his address in writing. This is perhaps because Jefferson is known for being an excellent author, but a poor orator.

The practice stuck, and it wasn’t until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson became the first president since John Adams, over a century later, to deliver the Annual Message directly to Congress. Since then, there have been a total of 84 in-person addresses. Some presidents have opted for Jefferson’s method of sending a letter, the most recent being Jimmy Carter in 1981.

A Changing Message for a Changing World 

The Annual Message was informally called the “state of the union” for several years, but it was during FDR’s presidency that the Annual Message formally changed to the State of the Union Address in 1947.

President Franklin Delano delivers his 1941 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. (Credit: Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)

Technological advances throughout the 20th century adapted the political landscape and allowed presidents to speak directly to the American people. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge was the first to broadcast the address over the radio, and in 1947, President Harry Truman was the first to give a televised address. However, it was President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 who first gave the Address in the evening, allowing more of the American working population to watch the event.

Traditions Within the Tradition

By Invitation Only Though this is an annual event, the president doesn’t just call a joint Congress and give the address. The Speaker of the House sends a formal invitation to the president to invite him to deliver the address in the House chambers.

Lenny Skutnik next to First Lady Nancy Reagan at the 1982 State of the Union.

Honored Guests President Ronald Reagan first began the tradition of honoring extraordinary Americans during the 1982 State of the Union Address with his invitation to Lenny Skutnik, a government employee who dived into the Potomac River to save a drowning woman after a plane crash. Honored guests since then have been called “Skutniks” and are traditionally commended during the speech for notable deeds during the address, where they sit next to the First Lady.

Opponents’ Rebuttal Opposing political parties haven’t always given responses to the president’s speech. In fact, this too, is a relatively new tradition by historical standards. It was only after LBJ moved the speech to the evening in 1965 that Republicans offered the first rebuttal to the address. Since 1976, an additional thirty minutes after the State of the Union is always reserved for the opposing political party’s response.

Postponed The State of the Union Address has only been postponed twice in American history.

• The first time in 1982 during Reagan’s presidency. The morning of the State of the Union, the space shuttle Challenger exploded on live television resulting in the deaths of seven people: five NASA astronauts, one payload specialist, and a school teacher. The State of the Union was postponed until February in light of the tragedy.
• Most recently, the 2019 State of the Union address was postponed when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi requested President Donald Trump not address the nation until the government shutdown ended.

The Designated Survivor It is custom for one member of the president’s cabinet to not attend the State of the Union Address. In the event something catastrophic were to happen to the president, vice president, Speaker of the House, and so on, during the address, someone in the line of succession could take the role of president. Since September 11, a few members of Congress have also been moved to safe locations during this time, for similar reasons: if something happened to Congress, a few members would still remain to provide leadership to the rest of the country.