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Description
U.S. Senate Historian Donald Ritchie discusses the history of the State of the Union address. (13 mins)

Participants

U.S. Senate Historian Donald Ritchie

VocabularySearch for and define the vocabulary

1.

Inauguration

2.

Parliament

3.

Republic

4.

Monarch

5.

Gallery

6.

Diplomats

7.

Tariffs

8.

Constituent

9.

Bi-Partisan

Assignment
1. Which Article and Section of the U.S. Constitution mandates that the President from time
to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union?

2. Which president was the first to deliver an annual message to Congress, and to whom
did he address? When did this annual message formally become known as the State of
the Union address? What helped to cement the title?

3. Describe Thomas Jeffersons annual message to Congress. How were his messages
different from his predecessors? Why?

4. After years of following President Jeffersons precedent, which president was the first to
introduce the current tradition of addressing a joint session of Congress?

5. According to Mr. Ritchie, what is the only other comparable occasion to the State of the
Union address?

6. Why do you think Mr. Ritchie describe the address as the Presidents wish list? Do you
agree or disagree?

7. How has the media influenced the evolution of the State of the Union address?

8. Which issue do you think is most important for President Obama to focus on in his State
of the Union? Explain your answer.

Extension Activity:
Students may view historical State of the Union Addresses given by past presidents to compare and contrast.

January 8, 1952 and January 1960: President Harry Truman (D) and President Dwight Eisenhower (R)

January 20, 1962: President John F. Kennedy (D)

January 8, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson(D)

January 27, 1974: President Richard Nixon (R)

January 12, 1977: President Gerald Ford (R)

January 23, 1980: President James Carter (D)

January 25, 1988: President Ronald Reagan (R)

January 31, 1990: President George H. Bush (R)

January 23, 1996: President William Clinton (D)

January 29, 2002: President George W. Bush (R)

January 26, 2010: President Barack Obama (D)

http://www.cspanclassroom.org/Lesson/1241/Bell+Ringer+The+History+of+the+State+of+the+
Union+Address.aspx