Amazing how one little constitutional requirement has become such a multimedia extravaganza.
When President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress — as well as a global television and Internet audience— he'll be fulfilling a presidential duty defined in Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1787-88:
"He 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."
Not unlike his predecessors, from George Washington to George W. Bush, Obama will use the address to outline his legislative agenda for the year. He'll also try to rally supporters to his side and appeal to Congress for help.
In last year's address, Obama quoted predecessor John F. Kennedy: "The Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress … It is my task to report the State of the Union — to improve it is the task of us all."
The 2014 edition of the State of the Union comes after the worst year of Obama's presidency, at least in terms of polling. The president saw his approval ratings fall as his health care plan came under attack, the economy remained uneven, and many Americans questioned the reach of National Security Agency surveillance programs.
Most State of the Union speeches have dealt with the politics of the moment. Some specific items, however, have lived on in history, even back in the days when the State of the Union message was more of a low-key affair. For most of the 19th century, presidents wrote out their annual messages to Congress.
Yet in 1823, President James Monroe warned Europe to stay out of North and South American political affairs, declaring what remains now known as the Monroe Doctrine. Twenty-five years later, President James Polk disclosed the discovery of gold in California, triggering a historic land rush.
President Woodrow Wilson helped make the State of the Union the big event it has become, opting to give his speech to Congress in person starting in 1913.
In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt outlined the "Four Freedoms" that would help guide government policy during World War II.
President Lyndon Johnson declared a "war on poverty" in his State of the Union of 1964. A year later, LBJ made the move that solidified the speech as a major media event: He delivered it in prime time.
In his 1997 speech, President Bill Clinton announced, "This is the first State of the Union carried live in video over the Internet."
Obama's first five reports to Congress have been mostly of the moment. They can also be used to trace the history of the Obama administration.
Since taking office in the midst of a severe recession, and with wars ongoing in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama has used his speeches to outline his plans, defend actions that have been taken, and continue advocating proposals that haven't been adopted.
Along the way, he has trumpeted the health care law, the auto bailout and the end of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has fought with congressional Republicans — and the Supreme Court — and proclaimed the death of Osama bin Laden. He has called for an immigration bill and a minimum wage hike and is likely to do so again Tuesday, along with admonitions to Congress to work together.
At the end of last year's address, Obama said: "It remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story."