In just a few hours, President Biden will give his second State of the Union (SOTU) address, his third oration to a joint session of Congress. As in years past, the speech will be surrounded by regal pageantry, more befitting a king than the leader of the free world. With all this pomp and circumstance, it’s worth considering how this came to be.
The origin of the practice stems from the executive’s duty under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, which obligates him to “give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
The language of this clause is not specific, which is why the “Annual Message,” as it was known from 1790 to 1946, was delivered as a written statement by every president from Thomas Jefferson to William Howard Taft. Say what you will about the Sage of Monticello; he knew that the second branch of government should stay in its lane. In 1913, arguable proto-fascist Woodrow Wilson decided to break from this republican tradition, delivering an in-person address, and the speech has never been the same.
Today’s SOTU has lost all pretense of humility and, much like the presidency itself, has completely eclipsed what the framers of the Constitution envisioned. Rather than a detailed report on the problems facing the nation and how Congress can ameliorate them, the speech has become another opportunity for presidents to exercise their bully pulpit. It’s nothing more than a glorified campaign rally.
This desecration of the People’s House should incense everyone who thinks the emergence of an imperial presidency is a negative development and an affront to the Founders’ vision. Perhaps a more civic-minded commander-in-chief can ditch the practice and go back to delivering a written report, but consider me skeptical. Why would any rational political actor cede such a golden opportunity to make a case for his agenda to the American people? But as long as we’re stuck with this ostentatious spectacle, it’s important to remember that this is not who we are.