Isn’t it mandated by the Constitution?
I believe it wasn’t an oral presentation until Woodward Wilson, but could be a written report.
"The address fulfills Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, which requires the president to periodically give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
"In 1913, Woodrow Wilson revived tradition by delivering the speech live to Congress, instead of in writing, giving the president a platform for presenting an agenda and rallying support for it in Congress."
Yes "from time to time". It doesn't mandate a yearly address, and it doesn't mandate being done in the house of representatives.
Yes, but not when, exactly how often or where:
U.S. Constitution › Article II › Section 3.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; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.
And for much of our country's history, it wasn't held in person in the Congress. A few times, it wasn't delivered at all:
Annual Messages to Congress on the State of the Union (Washington 1790 - Trump 2017)…
George Washington established the precedent that clarifies the phrase "from time to time." Since 1790, with occasional exceptions, State of the Union messages have been delivered once annually.
A misconception found even in some academic literature is that the State of the Union is an orally delivered message presented to a joint session of Congress. With a few exceptions, this has been true in the modern era--starting around 1933. However, beginning with Jefferson's 1st State of the Union (1801) and lasting until Taft's final message (1912), the State of the Union was a written (and often lengthy) report sent to Congress to coincide with a new Session of Congress.
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