Dear John,

Thursday night, I hope while you were sleeping or deep in your studies of the Charles Kesler edition of The Federalist Papers, President Joe Biden gave his annual State of the Union (SOTU) address.

The SOTU has an interesting history. Its origins can be found in Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution, which states that the president “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.”

This, of course, did not formally establish what we now term the SOTU. For that we can thank—or curse—Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, among others. Today, the SOTU, with all its pre-game, post-game, and live-action analysis, is a spectacle of machine-grade electioneering. Best not to believe what you hear—or see.

So, instead of a SOTU review, I want to leave you with a more lasting political vision upon which to dwell.

It is a vision where a return to limited government has been made possible thanks to a reinvigoration of the principles of the American founding in our public life.

It is where public sentiment has been shaped by the teaching and promotion of philosophic reasoning that is the only firm basis of a regime dedicated to human flourishing.

It is the true, clear vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In 1979, the Claremont Institute was founded on this vision. It remains constant today in 2024. And it will remain constant as long as we remain in the fight to restore the American Way of Life.

Best,

Ryan P. Williams | President

The Claremont Institute

Publisher, Claremont Review of Books, The American Mind

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