Real Communication An Introduction

The Constitution of the United States of America makes a

simple demand of the president. “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” (art. 2, sec. 3).

For much of our nation’s history, the State of the Union address was a lengthy

letter to Congress read to members of the Senate and House by a congressional

clerk. But over time it has evolved into an elaborate and highly politicized an-

nual affair that allows the president to present major ideas and issues directly

to the public: the Monroe Doctrine (James Monroe, 1823), the Four Freedoms

(Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941), the War on Terror (George W. Bush, 2002), and

the economic overhaul (Barack Obama, 2013) were all detailed for the American

people during State of the Union addresses (Amadeo, 2013; Longley, 2007).

And so each January, White House speechwriters face the daunting task of

addressing both Congress and the nation with a speech that outlines what is

going on in foreign and domestic policy in a way that flatters the president and

garners support for his agenda for the following year. To make the task even

more difficult, speechwriters must also navigate a deluge of requests from lob-

byists, political consultants, and everyday citizens eager to get their pet project,

policy, or idea into the president’s speech. “Everybody wants [a] piece of the

action,” lamented former White House speechwriter Chriss Winston. “The

speechwriter’s job is to keep [the speech] on broad themes so it doesn’t sink of

its own weight.” Matthew Scully (2005), one of President George W. Bush’s

speechwriters, concurred: “The entire thing can easily turn into a tedious grab

bag of policy proposals.”

chapter

Organizing, Writing,

and Outlining

Presentations

13

Organizing Your

Speech Points

Using Language

That Works

Writing a Strong

Introduction

Writing a Strong

Conclusion

Outlining Your

Speech

IN THIS CHAPTER

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