Edward Gresser Director, ProgressiveEconomy Project :
Yes, the State of the Union speeches are useful, and at least in a basic sense they¹re mandatory, though they probably don¹t have to come every single year. Fundamentally, it¹s a good thing for democracy for presidents to announce their policy agendas and explain why they think these agendas are in the national interest.
Either way, the speech is a once-a-year chance for Americans to get a detailed understanding of the president¹s goals, and therefore to become informed voters and participants in government. That¹s very useful.