The Message is Tone: Examining Tonal Evolution in State of the Union Addresses

Abstract

The State of the Union address is one of the most anticipated and institutionalized speeches that the President of the United States of America can give, due to the rare opportunity it presents to simultaneously address both Congress and the electorate. Previous research has examined the policy objectives and rhetoric of the State of the Union address, but many questions remain unanswered. Tone, an emerging area of political communication, is a relatively unexplored concept that deserves further study. This study seeks to delve into this somewhat unchartered territory in an attempt to build upon previous research related to tone and to the study of the State of the Union address as a whole, investigating the link between policy objectives found in State of the Union addresses and the tone of those objectives, thereby setting a foundation for future scholarship. While further study is needed, this study sheds light on possible tonal distinctions between presidents and between the Republican and Democratic parties.