n i s study look at the structuraland rhetorical changes in the state of the union addressji-om George Washington to Bill Clinton. The authorfinds that beginning with early-twentieth-centuv presidents, the length of address drops sipificantly and the president increasingly attempts to i d n t h himseras one of the public in the speech. Among other things, thefindings suggest three distinctperiods in the evolution of the state of the union address: afoundingperiod, a traditionalperiod, and a modern period, H m e v q although early-twentieth-century presidencies may exhibit change in delivery and style of the state of the union address, it is unclear whether this can be credited to a specific modern rhetorical innovation or whether the traditionaVmodern paradip may necessitate rearahation. Keywort&: modern presidency; traditionalpresideng; stde of the union address; J e B q Elis; rhetorical presideng He [the president] shaU3om time to timegive to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shaUjudge necess a y and expedient. -US. Constitution, Article 11, Section I11More than the founders ever envisioned, the presidency is at the center of policy debates. From "going public"' to acheve his plans and goals as described by Samuel Kernell 1. Goingpublicis a term referring to the president's appeal to the public as an alternative to bargaining with the legislature or attempting to use conventional rules of government to accomplish goals.Ryan L. Teen is a Ph. D. candidate inpolitical science at Vanderbilt Uniuersi&. His research interests include presidential rhetoric and politid behavior. AUTHOR 'SNOTE: 7Ke authorwouldliketo thank Enya Eten forhersupportandencour~ement. Ihe author would also like to thank John Gen; Bruce Oppenheimn; Richard Pride, Lany Gnzn and Amy Car&, as well as the Presidential Studies Quarter& editor and anonymous miewer5 for a.ll of their thoughfil comments and suggestions. Residential StudiesQaartmb 33, no. 2 vane)