On Jan. 6, 1947, President Truman delivered the State of the Union address to Congress, which was the first one broadcast on television. (National Archives)On Tuesday night, President Trump delivers his State of the Union address, as have scores of presidents before him. The State of the Union is in a state of decay, and has been since well before the age of Trump. The State of the Union has a more deliberative historyEarly on, George Washington and John Adams both gave spoken addresses to Congress; response came from Congress as an institution. In other words, the State of the Union originally helped the executive and legislative branches deliberate, promoting needful legislation and effective administration.

Source: Washington Post January 30, 2018 12:05 UTC