1978 State of the Union Address

The 1978 State of the Union address was given by President Jimmy Carter to a joint session of the 95th United States Congress on January 19, 1978.

1978 State of the Union Address

Date	January 19, 1978 (1978-01-19)
Time	9:00 p.m. EST
Duration	46 minutes
Venue	House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W
Type	State of the Union Address
Participants	Jimmy Carter Walter Mondale Tip O'Neill
Previous	1977 State of the Union Address
Next	1979 State of the Union Address

The speech lasted 46 minutes and 4 seconds.^[1] and contained 4580 words.^[2]

The Republican Party response was delivered by Senator Howard Baker Jr. (TN) and Representative John Rhodes (AZ).^[3]

One reviewer noted the blandness of the speech, commenting that "Carter avoided the kind of dramatic new proposals that other Presidents in similar circumstances have put before legislators of their own party."^[4]

In domestic affairs, the President noted that the economy of the United States crossed the $2 trillion mark, a first in human history. The president advocated for the creation of the Department of Education, and consolidation of 11 agencies into a new Department of Energy.

In foreign policy, the President emphasized the importance of arms reductions talks, especially in chemical weaponry.^[5]

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections, 1978