State of the Economy

datascience@berkeley looked at each president’s first State of the Union address — from Woodrow Wilson to Donald J. Trump — to find out how often they mentioned the economy.

Donald J. Trump

Party: Republican
Year: 2018
Total Word Count: 5,799

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Business
6
0.08622176237
Income
2
0.03448870495
Jobs
13
0.1207104673
Poverty
1
0.01724435247
Recession
1
0.01724435247
Taxes
16
0.2586652871
Unemployment
3
0.05173305742
Dollar
3
0.05173305742
Economy
4
0.05173305742

Barack Obama

Party: Democrat
Year: 2010
Total Word Count: 7,304

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Banks
8
0.1095290252
Budget
6
0.08214676889
Business
30
0.4107338445
Debt
5
0.06845564074
Dollar
2
0.0273822563
Economy
18
0.2464403067
Employer
1
0.01369112815
Employment
2
0.0273822563
Finance
12
0.1642935378
Income
5
0.06845564074
Jobs
23
0.3148959474
Money
4
0.0547645126
Poverty
1
0.01369112815
Recession
6
0.08214676889
Stimulus
1
0.01369112815
Taxes
23
0.3148959474
Unemployment
4
0.0547645126

George W. Bush

Party: Republican
Year: 2002
Total Word Count: 3,878

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
7
0.1805054152
Business
1
0.02578648788
Debt
1
0.02578648788
Dollar
1
0.02578648788
Economy
7
0.1805054152
Employee
2
0.05157297576
Finance
1
0.02578648788
Jobs
11
0.2836513667
Money
1
0.02578648788
Poverty
1
0.02578648788
Recession
3
0.07735946364
Stimulus
1
0.02578648788
Taxes
7
0.1805054152
Unemployment
2
0.05157297576

Bill Clinton

Party: Democrat
Year: 1994
Total Word Count: 7,432

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Bankruptcy
2
0.02691065662
Banks
2
0.02691065662
Budget
7
0.09418729817
Business
10
0.1345532831
Debt
1
0.01345532831
Dollar
1
0.01345532831
Economy
13
0.174919268
Employee
2
0.02691065662
Empoloyer
4
0.05382131324
Finance
4
0.05382131324
Income
8
0.1076426265
Jobs
20
0.2691065662
Money
5
0.06727664155
Poverty
3
0.04036598493
Taxes
13
0.174919268
Unemployment
4
0.05382131324

George Bush Sr.

Party: Republican
Year: 1990
Total Word Count: 3,777

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
8
0.2118083135
Business
1
0.02647603918
Debt
1
0.02647603918
Dollar
1
0.02647603918
Economy
4
0.1059041567
Jobs
2
0.05295207837
Money
4
0.1059041567
Taxes
2
0.05295207837

Ronald Reagan

Party: Republican
Year: 1982
Total Word Count: 5,154

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
8
0.1552192472
Business
7
0.1358168413
Debt
1
0.0194024059
Dollar
7
0.1358168413
Economy
20
0.388048118
Employee
2
0.0388048118
Expenditures
1
0.0194024059
Finance
3
0.05820721769
Income
1
0.0194024059
Jobs
7
0.1358168413
Money
6
0.1164144354
Recession
6
0.1164144354
Taxes
29
0.5626697711
Unemployment
9
0.1746216531

James Carter, Jr.

Party: Democrat
Year: 1978
Total Word Count: 4,580

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
7
0.1528384279
Business
8
0.1746724891
Dollar
4
0.08733624454
Economy
26
0.5676855895
Employment
2
0.04366812227
Income
3
0.06550218341
Jobs
10
0.2183406114
Poverty
1
0.02183406114
Taxes
18
0.3930131004
Unemployment
7
0.1528384279

Gerald Ford

Party: Republican
Year: 1975
Total Word Count: 4,126

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
7
0.169655841
Business
6
0.1454192923
Debt
1
0.02423654872
Dollar
3
0.07270964615
Economy
18
0.4362578769
Expenditures
4
0.09694619486
Finance
1
0.02423654872
Income
10
0.2423654872
Jobs
5
0.1211827436
Money
3
0.07270964615
Recession
1
0.02423654872
Tariff
1
0.02423654872
Taxes
29
0.7028599127
Unemployment
1
0.02423654872

Richard Nixon

Party: Republican
Year: 1970
Total Word Count: 4,457

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
7
0.1570563159
Business
1
0.02243661656
Debt
4
0.08974646623
Dollar
1
0.02243661656
Economy
7
0.1570563159
Employment
1
0.02243661656
Finance
1
0.02243661656
Income
2
0.04487323312
Money
3
0.06730984967
Poverty
1
0.02243661656
Taxes
1
0.02243661656

Lyndon B. Johnson

Party: Democrat
Year: 1964
Total Word Count: 3,168

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
8
0.2525252525
Business
2
0.06313131313
Dollar
4
0.1262626263
Economy
6
0.1893939394
Employee
1
0.03156565657
Employer
1
0.03156565657
Employment
6
0.1893939394
Expenditures
2
0.06313131313
Finance
2
0.06313131313
Income
2
0.06313131313
Jobs
5
0.1578282828
Money
1
0.03156565657
Poverty
9
0.2840909091
Taxes
10
0.3156565657
Unemployment
8
0.2525252525

John F. Kennedy

Party: Democrat
Year: 1961
Total Word Count: 5,274

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Bankruptcy
1
0.01896094046
Budget
7
0.1327265832
Busines
4
0.07584376185
Dollar
12
0.2275312856
Economy
25
0.4740235116
Employment
1
0.01896094046
Expenditures
1
0.01896094046
Finance
4
0.07584376185
Income
3
0.05688282139
Jobs
3
0.05688282139
Money
4
0.07584376185
Recession
4
0.07584376185
Taxes
5
0.09480470231
Unemployment
7
0.1327265832

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Party: Republican
Year: 1953
Total Word Count: 6,973

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
12
0.1720923562
Business
3
0.04302308906
Debt
7
0.1003872078
Dollar
6
0.08604617812
Economy
31
0.4445719203
Employee
2
0.02868205937
Employer
2
0.02868205937
Employment
3
0.04302308906
Expenditures
4
0.05736411874
Finance
2
0.02868205937
Income
4
0.05736411874
Money
2
0.02868205937
Poverty
1
0.01434102969
Taxes
10
0.1434102969
Unemployment
1
0.01434102969

Harry S. Truman

Party: Democrat
Year: 1946
Total Word Count: 27,465

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Bankruptcy
1
0.003640997633
Banks
4
0.01456399053
Budget
58
0.2111778627
Business
68
0.2475878391
Debt
30
0.109229929
Dollar
212
0.7718914983
Economy
88
0.3204077917
Employee
11
0.04005097397
Employer
3
0.0109229929
Employment
43
0.1565628982
Expenditures
128
0.4660476971
Finance
37
0.1347169124
Income
29
0.1055889314
Jobs
5
0.01820498817
Money
7
0.02548698343
Stimulus
2
0.007281995267
Tariff
2
0.007281995267
Taxes
30
0.109229929
Unemployment
27
0.0983069361

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Party: Democrat
Year: 1934
Total Word Count: 2,230

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Banks
3
0.134529148
Business
2
0.08968609865
Debt
3
0.134529148
Dollar
1
0.04484304933
Economy
3
0.134529148
Employment
2
0.08968609865
Finance
3
0.134529148
Money
3
0.134529148
Taxes
1
0.04484304933
Unemployment
3
0.134529148

Herbert Hoover

Party: Republican
Year: 1929
Total Word Count: 10,994

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Bankruptcy
1
0.009095870475
Banks
7
0.06367109332
Budget
3
0.02728761142
Business
10
0.09095870475
Debt
3
0.02728761142
Dollar
1
0.009095870475
Economy
16
0.1455339276
Employee
1
0.009095870475
Employment
7
0.06367109332
Expenditures
12
0.1091504457
Finance
5
0.04547935237
Income
8
0.0727669638
Money
1
0.009095870475
Poverty
1
0.009095870475
Stimulus
1
0.009095870475
Tariff
13
0.1182463162
Taxes
13
0.1182463162
Unemployment
3
0.02728761142

Calvin Coolidge

Party: Republican
Year: 1923
Total Word Count: 6,706

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
4
0.05964807635
Business
5
0.07456009544
Debt
5
0.07456009544
Dollar
5
0.07456009544
Economy
8
0.1192961527
Employee
4
0.05964807635
Employer
1
0.01491201909
Employment
3
0.04473605726
Expenditures
4
0.05964807635
Finance
6
0.08947211452
Income
2
0.02982403817
Money
3
0.04473605726
Tariff
3
0.04473605726
Taxes
12
0.178944229

Warren Harding

Party: Republican
Year: 1921
Total Word Count: 5,606

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Budget
3
0.05351409204
Business
2
0.03567606136
Debt
3
0.05351409204
Dollar
1
0.01783803068
Economy
10
0.1783803068
Employee
1
0.01783803068
Employer
1
0.01783803068
Employment
6
0.1070281841
Expenditures
1
0.01783803068
Finance
5
0.08919015341
Money
3
0.05351409204
Poverty
1
0.01783803068
Tariff
12
0.2140563682
Taxes
4
0.07135212273
Unemployment
0.03567606136

Woodrow Wilson

Party: Democrat
Year: 1913
Total Word Count: 3,553

WordFrequencyPercentage of Speech
Business
9
0.2533070645
Economy
2
0.05629045877
Employee
1
0.02814522938
Employer
1
0.02814522938
Employment
1
0.02814522938
Money
1
0.02814522938

Frequency adjusted for speech length.
Similar variations of words were combined. For example: budget, budgets, budgetary, budgeted, and budgeting are all categorized under “budget.”

Source: The American Presidency Project — http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php