DarrinS
01-25-2012, 01:33 PM
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/smartpolitics/2012/01/my_message_is_simple_obamas_so.php
Obama's SOTU addresses have the lowest average Flesch-Kincaid score of any modern president; Obama owns three of the six lowest-scoring addresses since FDR
For the third consecutive State of the Union Address, Barack Obama spoke in clear, plain terms.
And for the third straight Address, the President's speech was written at an eighth-grade level.
In Obama's own words: "My message is simple."
But was it too simplistic?
A Smart Politics study of the 70 orally delivered State of the Union Addresses since 1934 finds the text of Obama's 2012 speech to have tallied the third lowest score on the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, at an 8.4 grade level.
Obama also delivered the second lowest scoring address in 2011 (at an 8.1 grade level) and the sixth lowest in 2010 (at an 8.8 grade level)
The Flesch-Kincaid test is designed to assess the readability level of written text, with a formula that translates the score to a U.S. grade level. Longer sentences and sentences utilizing words with more syllables produce higher scores. Shorter sentences and sentences incorporating more monosyllabic words yield lower scores.
Smart Politics ran the Flesch-Kincaid test on each of the last 70 State of the Union Addresses that were delivered orally by presidents before a Joint Session of Congress since Franklin Roosevelt.
Excluded from analysis were five written addresses (by Truman in 1946 and 1953, Eisenhower in 1961, Nixon in 1973, and Carter in 1981) and two addresses that were delivered orally, but not by the President himself (Roosevelt in 1945 and Eisenhower in 1956).
The vast majority of State of the Union speeches were delivered in writing prior to FDR.
Each of Obama's three addresses are among only seven of 70 in the modern era that were written shy of a 9th grade level, and among the six that have averaged less than 17 words per sentence.
Obama's 2012 and 2010 addresses averaged 16.6 words per sentence with his 2011 address coming in at 16.8.
Other low-scoring addresses on the Flesch-Kincaid scale over the decades are George H.W. Bush's 1992 address, Harry Truman's 1951 and 1952 addresses, and Lyndon Johnson's 1965 address.
Obama's speeches are a continuation of a general pattern that finds as State of the Union Addresses have perhaps become more and more political, they have been written more and more simplistically.
With three addresses under his belt, President Obama has the lowest average Flesch-Kincaid score for State of the Union addresses of any modern president. Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors.
But even though the last five presidents have the lowest five collective scores on this readability test, Obama's speeches were written at a much lower grade level than those recorded by Ronald Reagan (10.3) and George W. Bush (10.4).
The highest scoring presidents are John Kennedy at 12.0, Dwight Eisenhower at 11.9, and Richard Nixon at 11.5.
Average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for Orally Delivered State of the Union Addresses by Presidents Since FDR
Rank President Words per sentence Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
1 John Kennedy 23.8 12.0
2 Dwight Eisenhower 20.5 11.9
3 Richard Nixon 23.5 11.5
4 Franklin Roosevelt 24.3 11.4
5 Gerald Ford 19.3 11.2
6 Jimmy Carter 19.7 10.8
7 Harry Truman 18.9 10.5
8 Lyndon Johnson 20.3 10.4
8 George W. Bush 19.0 10.4
10 Ronald Reagan 19.6 10.3
11 Bill Clinton 19.0 9.5
12 George H.W. Bush 17.4 8.6
13 Barack Obama 16.7 8.4
Data compiled by Smart Politics.
Dragging down Obama's Flesch-Kincaid score are the series of short sentences written - perhaps for dramatic effect - on a number of policy issues.
On the state of the American auto industry:
"We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back."
On the need to rebuild the nation's infrastructure:
"So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We've got crumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that wastes too much energy."
On the importance of passing a payroll tax break extension:
"There are plenty of ways to get this done. So let's agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay."
On remembering the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden:
"All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves."
And, generally, on the 'greatness' of America:
"No one built this country on their own. This Nation is great because we built it together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we get each other's backs."
Of course, depending on one's view of the intended audience of these addresses, a simply written speech such as the one delivered by Obama Tuesday evening might be viewed positively or negatively.
If the audience is Congress, as was the original, intended purpose of the speech, then brief policy outlines, episodic illustrations, and short sound bites are probably not very instructive.
If, however, the intended audience is the American people, then perhaps simply-written speeches - in the age of Twitter and texting - are arguably more effective ways to translate the president's vision of the State of the Union to the average citizen.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for Orally Delivered State of the Union Addresses, 1934-2012
President Words per sentence Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
Truman 1947 20.1 12.0
Roosevelt 1940 26.3 12.0
Roosevelt 1938 27.0 12.0
Roosevelt 1937 26.1 12.0
Roosevelt 1935 25.5 12.0
Roosevelt 1934 30.3 12.0
Nixon 1974 25.5 12.0
Kennedy 1963 23.8 12.0
Kennedy 1962 23.1 12.0
Kennedy 1961 24.4 12.0
Eisenhower 1960 21.7 12.0
Eisenhower 1957 21.4 12.0
Eisenhower 1955 21.1 12.0
Eisenhower 1954 20.6 12.0
Eisenhower 1953 19.9 12.0
Ford 1977 21.8 11.9
Bush 2005 21.6 11.8
Roosevelt 1939 22.2 11.7
Eisenhower 1958 19.9 11.7
Truman 1950 21.9 11.6
Nixon 1971 23.3 11.6
Johnson 1964 24.1 11.6
Eisenhower 1959 18.9 11.4
Reagan 1983 21.2 11.3
Roosevelt 1936 23.0 11.2
Carter 1980 20.7 11.2
Carter 1979 20.2 11.2
Roosevelt 1941 22.2 11.1
Nixon 1972 22.9 11.1
Nixon 1970 22.3 11.1
Roosevelt 1944 21.5 11.0
Reagan 1988 21.6 11.0
Ford 1975 18.3 11.0
Truman 1949 18.3 10.9
Roosevelt 1943 22.8 10.9
Reagan 1982 20.5 10.9
Johnson 1966 21.5 10.8
Bush 2006 19.2 10.8
Truman 1948 18.4 10.7
Johnson 1969 21.2 10.7
Ford 1976 17.9 10.7
Johnson 1967 19.9 10.4
Bush 2003 18.2 10.4
Johnson 1968 18.9 10.3
Bush 2008 18.4 10.2
Bush 2004 18.8 10.2
Clinton 1999 19.1 10.0
Carter 1978 18.2 9.9
Reagan 1987 18.6 9.8
Reagan 1986 19.8 9.8
Bush 2007 19.3 9.8
Reagan 1985 18.6 9.7
Clinton 1998 19.7 9.7
Roosevelt 1942 20.4 9.6
Clinton 1997 19.5 9.6
Reagan 1984 16.9 9.3
Clinton 2000 18.3 9.3
Clinton 1996 17.7 9.3
Clinton 1995 20.0 9.3
Bush 2002 17.8 9.3
Bush 1991 17.4 9.2
Clinton 1994 18.6 9.0
Bush 1990 18.9 9.0
Truman 1952 18.1 8.9
Obama 2010 16.6 8.8
Truman 1951 16.3 8.6
Johnson 1965 16.1 8.6
Obama 2012 16.6 8.4
Obama 2011 16.8 8.1
Bush 1992 15.8 7.5
Average 20.5 10.6
Obama's SOTU addresses have the lowest average Flesch-Kincaid score of any modern president; Obama owns three of the six lowest-scoring addresses since FDR
For the third consecutive State of the Union Address, Barack Obama spoke in clear, plain terms.
And for the third straight Address, the President's speech was written at an eighth-grade level.
In Obama's own words: "My message is simple."
But was it too simplistic?
A Smart Politics study of the 70 orally delivered State of the Union Addresses since 1934 finds the text of Obama's 2012 speech to have tallied the third lowest score on the Flesch-Kincaid readability test, at an 8.4 grade level.
Obama also delivered the second lowest scoring address in 2011 (at an 8.1 grade level) and the sixth lowest in 2010 (at an 8.8 grade level)
The Flesch-Kincaid test is designed to assess the readability level of written text, with a formula that translates the score to a U.S. grade level. Longer sentences and sentences utilizing words with more syllables produce higher scores. Shorter sentences and sentences incorporating more monosyllabic words yield lower scores.
Smart Politics ran the Flesch-Kincaid test on each of the last 70 State of the Union Addresses that were delivered orally by presidents before a Joint Session of Congress since Franklin Roosevelt.
Excluded from analysis were five written addresses (by Truman in 1946 and 1953, Eisenhower in 1961, Nixon in 1973, and Carter in 1981) and two addresses that were delivered orally, but not by the President himself (Roosevelt in 1945 and Eisenhower in 1956).
The vast majority of State of the Union speeches were delivered in writing prior to FDR.
Each of Obama's three addresses are among only seven of 70 in the modern era that were written shy of a 9th grade level, and among the six that have averaged less than 17 words per sentence.
Obama's 2012 and 2010 addresses averaged 16.6 words per sentence with his 2011 address coming in at 16.8.
Other low-scoring addresses on the Flesch-Kincaid scale over the decades are George H.W. Bush's 1992 address, Harry Truman's 1951 and 1952 addresses, and Lyndon Johnson's 1965 address.
Obama's speeches are a continuation of a general pattern that finds as State of the Union Addresses have perhaps become more and more political, they have been written more and more simplistically.
With three addresses under his belt, President Obama has the lowest average Flesch-Kincaid score for State of the Union addresses of any modern president. Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors.
But even though the last five presidents have the lowest five collective scores on this readability test, Obama's speeches were written at a much lower grade level than those recorded by Ronald Reagan (10.3) and George W. Bush (10.4).
The highest scoring presidents are John Kennedy at 12.0, Dwight Eisenhower at 11.9, and Richard Nixon at 11.5.
Average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for Orally Delivered State of the Union Addresses by Presidents Since FDR
Rank President Words per sentence Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
1 John Kennedy 23.8 12.0
2 Dwight Eisenhower 20.5 11.9
3 Richard Nixon 23.5 11.5
4 Franklin Roosevelt 24.3 11.4
5 Gerald Ford 19.3 11.2
6 Jimmy Carter 19.7 10.8
7 Harry Truman 18.9 10.5
8 Lyndon Johnson 20.3 10.4
8 George W. Bush 19.0 10.4
10 Ronald Reagan 19.6 10.3
11 Bill Clinton 19.0 9.5
12 George H.W. Bush 17.4 8.6
13 Barack Obama 16.7 8.4
Data compiled by Smart Politics.
Dragging down Obama's Flesch-Kincaid score are the series of short sentences written - perhaps for dramatic effect - on a number of policy issues.
On the state of the American auto industry:
"We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight, the American auto industry is back."
On the need to rebuild the nation's infrastructure:
"So much of America needs to be rebuilt. We've got crumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that wastes too much energy."
On the importance of passing a payroll tax break extension:
"There are plenty of ways to get this done. So let's agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut without delay."
On remembering the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden:
"All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves."
And, generally, on the 'greatness' of America:
"No one built this country on their own. This Nation is great because we built it together. This Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we get each other's backs."
Of course, depending on one's view of the intended audience of these addresses, a simply written speech such as the one delivered by Obama Tuesday evening might be viewed positively or negatively.
If the audience is Congress, as was the original, intended purpose of the speech, then brief policy outlines, episodic illustrations, and short sound bites are probably not very instructive.
If, however, the intended audience is the American people, then perhaps simply-written speeches - in the age of Twitter and texting - are arguably more effective ways to translate the president's vision of the State of the Union to the average citizen.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for Orally Delivered State of the Union Addresses, 1934-2012
President Words per sentence Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
Truman 1947 20.1 12.0
Roosevelt 1940 26.3 12.0
Roosevelt 1938 27.0 12.0
Roosevelt 1937 26.1 12.0
Roosevelt 1935 25.5 12.0
Roosevelt 1934 30.3 12.0
Nixon 1974 25.5 12.0
Kennedy 1963 23.8 12.0
Kennedy 1962 23.1 12.0
Kennedy 1961 24.4 12.0
Eisenhower 1960 21.7 12.0
Eisenhower 1957 21.4 12.0
Eisenhower 1955 21.1 12.0
Eisenhower 1954 20.6 12.0
Eisenhower 1953 19.9 12.0
Ford 1977 21.8 11.9
Bush 2005 21.6 11.8
Roosevelt 1939 22.2 11.7
Eisenhower 1958 19.9 11.7
Truman 1950 21.9 11.6
Nixon 1971 23.3 11.6
Johnson 1964 24.1 11.6
Eisenhower 1959 18.9 11.4
Reagan 1983 21.2 11.3
Roosevelt 1936 23.0 11.2
Carter 1980 20.7 11.2
Carter 1979 20.2 11.2
Roosevelt 1941 22.2 11.1
Nixon 1972 22.9 11.1
Nixon 1970 22.3 11.1
Roosevelt 1944 21.5 11.0
Reagan 1988 21.6 11.0
Ford 1975 18.3 11.0
Truman 1949 18.3 10.9
Roosevelt 1943 22.8 10.9
Reagan 1982 20.5 10.9
Johnson 1966 21.5 10.8
Bush 2006 19.2 10.8
Truman 1948 18.4 10.7
Johnson 1969 21.2 10.7
Ford 1976 17.9 10.7
Johnson 1967 19.9 10.4
Bush 2003 18.2 10.4
Johnson 1968 18.9 10.3
Bush 2008 18.4 10.2
Bush 2004 18.8 10.2
Clinton 1999 19.1 10.0
Carter 1978 18.2 9.9
Reagan 1987 18.6 9.8
Reagan 1986 19.8 9.8
Bush 2007 19.3 9.8
Reagan 1985 18.6 9.7
Clinton 1998 19.7 9.7
Roosevelt 1942 20.4 9.6
Clinton 1997 19.5 9.6
Reagan 1984 16.9 9.3
Clinton 2000 18.3 9.3
Clinton 1996 17.7 9.3
Clinton 1995 20.0 9.3
Bush 2002 17.8 9.3
Bush 1991 17.4 9.2
Clinton 1994 18.6 9.0
Bush 1990 18.9 9.0
Truman 1952 18.1 8.9
Obama 2010 16.6 8.8
Truman 1951 16.3 8.6
Johnson 1965 16.1 8.6
Obama 2012 16.6 8.4
Obama 2011 16.8 8.1
Bush 1992 15.8 7.5
Average 20.5 10.6