1. What to look for in this address: President Obama is very likely to address these themes in his 2013 State of the Union. Research findings noted in this PPT come from the Congressional Research Service, and the Pew Research Center, among others. These Research findings include current American opinions on the Economy, Debt and Deficit issues, the Middle Class, Gun Control, U.S. Foreign Policy, Immigration, and Climate Change. Please watch out for how the President addresses these themes.

2. For 2013, the economy and jobs remain the public’s top two priorities for the White House and Congress. 57% of Americans (and 74% of Republicans) say that President Obama won the battle over the “fiscal cliff.” Therefore, President Obama will likely spend much of his State of the Union address focusing on the Economy and Economic issues

3. 72% of Americans now say reducing the deficit is a top priority. Majorities of Americans oppose most deficit reduction measures, including reducing funding for education (77% disapprove), reducing transportation funding (67%) and reducing funding to help low-income people (58%). There are wide partisan gaps on many debt reduction proposals President Obama will likely address his solution to reducing the deficit.

4. 85% of those in the Middle Class say it is more difficult today than a decade ago to maintain their standard of living. Watch how Obama addresses the problems and pressures facing the Middle Class in his State of the Union.

5. 51% of Americans say it is more important to control gun ownership, while 45% say it is more important to protect gun rights. 47% say mass shootings reflect broader societal problems, 44% call them isolated acts of troubled individuals. There is now broad public support for background checks for private and gun show sales (85%) and laws preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns (80%).

6. 83% of Americans say that “we should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems here at home,” up 10 points since 2002. 71% say defending the nation from terrorism is a top priority. 63% say the U.S. should be less involved in Middle East leadership changes.

7. What will he say about Afghanistan? What will he say about the Middle East and the prospects for peace? What will he say about Egypt? What did he not touch upon?

8. 39% of Americans say “dealing with illegal immigration” should be a top priority. 42% of Americans prioritize both enhanced border security and a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants. The total immigrant population has grown to 40.4 million in 2011, while unauthorized immigration declined to 11.1 million. 36% of eligible Mexican immigrants have become natural U.S. citizens, half the rate of legal immigrants from all other countries combined.

9. Only 28% of Americans say global warming is a top priority, ranking the issue last on this year’s list of 21 policy priorities. 67% of Americans believe there is solid evidence of global warming, including 91% of liberal Democrats and 43% of conservative Republicans. 42% of Americans attribute global warming mostly to human activity, while 19% say it is mostly due to natural patterns.

10. The U.S. Constitution requires that the President report to Congress “from time to time” on the “State of the Union.” This constitutional requirement has evolved into the president’s annual State of the Union address, which now serves several purposes. The speech reports on the condition of the United States both domestically and internationally, recommends a legislative agenda for the coming year and gives the president the opportunity to personally convey his vision for the nation.

11. President Obama is expected to focus heavily on his domestic agenda, but will also outline his administration’s foreign policy goals How successful he will be in accomplishing his goals will depend in large part on how Obama can work with Congress and on how effectively he can bridge the partisan divide. In the 113th Congress, control of the House of Representatives has shifted to the Republican Party, while Democrats continue to hold a majority of the seats in the Senate.

12. Discussion and your ideas, please Go to my website for more information on the State of the Union, including additional readings www.tinyurl.com/6dfaxn

13. IRC ACCRA: IRC ACCRA, ircaccra@state.govIRC ACCRA, ircaccra@state.gov Stephen Perry, IRO, email: Perry SX2@state.govSX2@state.gov Rita Awuku, IRC Director, email: AwukuRE@state.govAwukuRE@state.gov Jennifer Yeboah, IRC Assistant, YeboahJA@state.govYeboahJA@state.gov American Corner, americancorner@ug.edu.ghamericancorner@ug.edu.gh