Chris Winton-Burnette

Full-Sentence Outline + Bibliography

Outline:

Introduction
I. Attention-Grabber: On Tuesday, January 12th, Barack Obama stood in
front of Joe Biden, Paul Ryan, and 500 of his closest friends in the Capitol
building to deliver the annual oration known as the State of the Union.
II. Thesis: Many fundamental features of the State of the Union were
added by presidents trying to shake things up, for weird reasons. Well
see how much this speech changed over time.

[Lets start with Thomas Jefferson]

Body Thomas Jefferson gave the message in writing.

I. George Washington and John Adams have the modern way of delivery,
but Jefferson needed to change that.

A. Thomas Jefferson took office in 1801, and decided send the

message out to Congress instead.

1. In public, he said that it would take less of the governments

time to listen to him.

2. Daniel Walker Howe said that it was too similar to a monarch

speaking to Parliament.

B. Gerhard Casper of Stanford thinks its because of

Jeffersons fear of public speaking.
1. [ Quote from Casper on PowerPoint]
2. So, in conclusion, the address made Thomas Jefferson turn
from this (IMAGE) to this (IMAGE)

[Now lets look at FDR]

II. Second main point: When FDR used foreign policy to raise the
importance of SOTU Address.

A. He spoke of the Four Freedoms, principles as objectives to World War II.

1. Similar to George W. Bush, and his rhetoric on the Iraq War.

2. Press coverage was positive.
a. But even Bushs cabinet doubted his decision.
 B. Roosevelt also changed the name to State of the Union, from
annual address.

[Now for Ronald Reagan....]

III. Third main point: Ronald Reagan started the designated survivor
and inviting special guests.

A. The Reagan Administration invited Lenny Skutnik for saving the

life of a woman in a sinking airplane.

1. Members of Congress gave him a standing ovation.

B. Reagan expanded this practice to include not just heroes, but ordinary
Americans whose stories could help illustrate one of the speech's
points.

1. These people are now called Skutniks

2. Obama brought a Syrian refugee and a plaintiff of the Supreme

Court same-sex marriage decision to illustrate those same points.

[Transition into conclusion: Make this clear, e.g. In conclusion, to sum up, etc.]

Conclusion
I. Why does the State of the Union address matter?

II. The speech has small influence on Congress and the public, but critical
differences, like Obamas last address, assure the nation that the State of
the Union is strong.
Reference List

Baker, Peter. Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. Print.

Barabas, Jason. "Presidential Policy Initiatives: How the Public Learns

about State of the Union Proposals from the Mass Media. "Presidential
Studies Quarterly Presidential Studies Q 38.2 (2008): 195-222. Web.

Casper, Gerhard. Executive-congressional Separation of Power During

the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Stanford Law Review 47.3 (1995):
473497. Web...

"Constitution of the United States - Official." National Archives and

Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
Web.

Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of

America, 1815-1848. New York: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.

Jones, Jeffrey. "President's Support Usually Unaffected by State of

Union."Gallup.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

Kraig, Robert Alexander. Woodrow Wilson and the Lost World of the
Oratorical Statesman. College Station: Texas A & M UP, 2004. Print.

Multiple. "State of the Union Address." State of the Union. US House

of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, n.d. Web

Safire, William. "The Way We Live Now: 07-08-01: On Language; '' ''"
The New York Times. The New York Times, 07 July 2001. Web.

Teten, Ryan. "Evolution of the Modern Rhetorical Presidency:

Presidential Presentation and Development of the State of the Union
Address." "" by Teten, Ryan L. Presidential Studies Quarterly, June 2003.
Web. 20 Jan. 2016.