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Originally Posted by HarryT
Sorry if this is a stupid question, Nate, but what actually is a "state of the union address"?
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It's not a stupid question.
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The State of the Union is an annual address in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). It has occurred in January (except for six occasions in February) since 1934. Sometimes, especially in recent years, newly-inaugurated Presidents have delivered speeches to joint sessions of Congress only weeks into their respective terms, but these are not officially considered State of the Union addresses. The 2007 Address took place on January 23, 2007 at 9:01 PM EST.
The address is also most frequently used to outline the President's legislative proposals for the upcoming year.
Modeled after the monarch's Speech from the Throne during the State Opening of Parliament in the United Kingdom, such a report is required by the United States Constitution. Note that there is no requirement that the speech must take place annually
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from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_Address