Subject Material

State of the Union Address

The State of the Union Address is an annual speech delivered to Congress by the President of the United States at the beginning of each calendar year in office. It is probably the most watched and best attended political event of the year.

Historical background

Each year, the President of the United States holds a speech called State of the Union, or SOTU. It is even written in the Constitution that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information about the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient” (U.S. Constitution, article 2). This means that once a year the President has to give reports to Congress about the current condition of the country, but that he also has the opportunity to provide policy proposals for the year ahead.

Over time, the State of the Union address has developed considerably. The first American Presidents, George Washington and John Adams, delivered their speeches to Congress in person, while several presidents after them delivered their messages in writing instead. This precedent was followed until President Woodrow Wilson personally appeared in Congress again in 1913, and it became an annual tradition since President Franklin D. Roosevelt also conducted his address in person in 1933.

Today, the annual State of the Union address is held by the President in late January or early February, and is broadcasted to a prime time national audience. The speech thereby functions not only as a report to Congress but is also a golden opportunity for the President to convey a vision for the nation, speak directly to the public, and appeal to both old and new voters at the same time.

The phrase “pomp and circumstance” is often used to criticise how the State of the Union address has become more about show and politics than serious discussion. Even though the speech is an important constitutional tradition, where the President reports to Congress and the American people, it has changed over time. What was once a simple report has turned into a televised, prime-time event with special guests and dramatic moments. Reactions from the audience, interruptions, and strong political messages can sometimes take attention away from the main purpose of the speech. Because of this, some people feel that the event focuses more on performance than on providing a clear and balanced report about the country.

Task

Each President of the United States has the opportunity, through the State of the Union address, to highlight what they have achieved over the past year and outline their priorities for the future. Search online for short summaries of speeches by Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump (approximately 4–5 minutes each).

You can search for:

Obama's 2016 State of the Union, in four minutes
Key moments from Trump’s State of the Union
President Biden's State of the Union address in under 4 minutes

Task 1: Compare

Review these speeches and compare them by considering the following:

which themes are important to each president
what they believe should be prioritized going forward
whether the speeches have anything in common
what impression you get of each president
how the audience responds to what they hear
how much pomp and circumstance is present in the speeches.

Discuss your findings in class.

Task 2: Analyse

Choose one of the speech extracts and analyse it further. How would you describe the President's rhetorical skills?

Comment on his body language, intonation, and choice of words.
Does he use any rhetorical devices?
Can you find examples of ethos, pathos, logos or kairos?

Compare your findings in groups

Some relevant rhetorical devices

Repetition: Repeating important words or phrases
Alliteration: The repetition of (usually) initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables.
Personal pronouns: The use of words like I, You, They and We
Allusion: An indirect reference to a person, place, historical event, ect of which the speaker expects the audience to understand the reference.
Metaphors: One thing is compared to another by stating they share the same qualities
Hyperbole: To exaggerate in order to make a point.
Emotive language: The deliberate choice of words to influence or to elicit emotion, for example expressions of patriotism

Logos, Ethos, Pathos, and Kairos

Logos is Greek for ‘word’. A speech that has a strong logos appeals to logic and focuses its attention on the message of the speech. It tries to persuade the audience with reason, using facts and figures.

Ethos focuses the attention on the writer’s or speaker’s trustworthiness. A speech with a strong ethos appeals to the audience by emphasising the speaker's credibility and authority.

Pathos is used in texts and speeches to sway an audience emotionally. It appeals to our imaginations and feelings and tries to convince people through an emotional response.

Kairos refers to the timeliness of an argument. For a speech to have kairos you need to make exactly the right statements at the right time and place. Calling something kairotic is also subjective: What may be exactly the right moment for one reader or listener might be all wrong for someone else.

Sources

Congressional Research Service (2020) History, Evolution, and Practices of the President’s State of the Union Address: Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R44770

Rock the Vote (2026). The State of the Union: An Explainer. Retrieved from: https://www.rockthevote.org/explainers/the-state-of-the-union/

United States House of Representatives (date unknown) State of the Union Address. Retrieved from: https://history.house.gov/Institution/SOTU/State-of-the-Union/