Faculty experts discuss State of the Union Address norms and key issues

• For Journalists
• News Releases
• Latest Releases
• News Release

Faculty experts discuss State of the Union Address norms and key issues

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Political science and economics experts from Northwestern University share what to expect from President Trump's first State of the Union address of his second term. Media are welcome to use the quotes below or call or email to request further comment.

Political norms and policy
Political scientist Laurel Harbridge-Yong studies bipartisanship and polarization.

Quote from Professor Harbridge-Yong
"High polarization in the last few decades has increasingly made the State of the Union address an opportunity for partisan messaging, rather than a call by the president for Congress to act on key issues of public concern. In the current administration, many Democratic lawmakers both see the Trump administration as attacking core aspects of democracy and the Republican majority in Congress as failing to exercise oversight or the powers vested in Congress by Article I.

"Democratic critics have also pointed to ways in which the narrative from the White House (e.g., DOGE success, Venezuela, immigration enforcement, etc.) is not backed by facts or investigations (e.g., response to the Good and Pretti killings). In this environment, Democrats may be torn between the democratic norms of the State of the Union address and not wanting to give credibility to a speech that will likely follow the same partisan attacks and administration narrative as recent press conferences."

Laurel Harbridge-Yong is a professor of political science and a faculty fellow and associate director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern. Her latest book is "Rejecting Compromise." To request an interview, contact Stephanie Kulke at [email protected] or 847-491-4819.

Political scientist Jaime Dominguez studies immigration and urban politics.

Quote from Professor Dominguez
"Even as polls show that Trump is under water on both the economy and immigration, I expect him to double-down on both. He will claim credit for closing the southern border and by default, helping to reduce crime across America. However, the public has soured on the methods and application of his administration's deportation enforcement. And this is especially so among independent voters. He will tout the record number of arrests of violent criminals and claim that he is removing the worst of the worst off the streets. But it's clear that most have not committed any serious crimes, and it does not help that DHS has not been transparent in releasing the data on these apprehensions. The irony with immigration enforcement is that Americans are feeling less safe, not more, and this sentiment runs even deeper in immigrant communities. His strength on immigration has all but dissipated from one year ago."

Jaime Dominguez is an associate professor of instruction in the political science department. His research interests include race and ethnicity, immigration, urban politics and Latino politics. He can be reached at [email protected] or by contacting Stephanie Kulke at [email protected].

Political science and human development and social policy professor Tabitha Bonilla studies public opinion and political communication.

Quote from Professor Bonilla
"Democratic officials are skipping the State of the Union as a protest: The government is not operating as it should. And, if Congress is not checking executive power, why should representatives act as though this is business as usual? The speech itself will likely be similar to what we have heard in the past: claims of how much Trump has done for the country, many of which will have dubious validity. As is usual in this moment, I assume both what people are looking for and reactions to the speech itself will be highly polarized."

Tabitha Bonilla is an associate professor of human development and social policy and political science. Her research interests include political behavior, identity and communication. Her latest book is The Importance of Campaign Promises. She can be reached at [email protected] or by contacting Stephanie Kulke at [email protected].

Alvin B. Tillery Jr. is a professor of political science and Black studies and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern. His research interests include American politics and presidential leadership. He can be reached at [email protected] or by contacting Stephanie Kulke at [email protected].

The economy and tariffs
Nancy Qian is the James J. O'Connor Professor of Economics at the Kellogg School of Management. Her research provides evidence for the detailed processes of the root determinants of economic development: geography, demography, human capital, institutions and culture. To set up an interview with Professor Qian, reach out to Shanice Harris at [email protected].

Phillip Braun is a clinical professor of finance at Kellogg School of Management. His research focuses on macroeconomy and financial markets, inflation, investments and impact of the Ukraine war on global economies. To set up an interview with Professor Braun, reach out to Shanice Harris at [email protected].