State of the Union Addresses

This volume gathers the State of the Union speeches delivered by a U.S. president during the early 1980s, beginning with his inaugural address to Congress in January 1982. In these remarks he frames the constitutional tradition and sets a tone of partnership between the executive branch and the legislature. He invokes the legacy of past leaders while outlining a new direction for the nation. The collection follows each annual address through 1988, offering a chronological view of his public policy agenda.

The speeches confront the economic turbulence of the time—high inflation, soaring interest rates, and persistent unemployment—while presenting a program of reduced government spending and tax cuts aimed at revitalizing growth. Reagan emphasizes the importance of strength at home and abroad, recalling the words of Washington, Lincoln, and Churchill to inspire confidence. He reaches out to diverse American communities, from auto workers in Detroit to farmers in the Midwest, promising a government that serves its citizens. Throughout, the rhetoric balances realism about the challenges with an optimistic belief in American resilience.