The table below lists the 150 term bursts of highest weight in Presidential State of the Union Addresses, 1790-2002 (excluding those consisting of just a single year). Bursts were computed using a 2-state model in which the high state had 16 times the rate of the low state.

See the paper

for further details on the model and analysis, or return to the top-level page for additional sample results from the algorithm.

Word Interval of burst
gentlemen 1790 - 1800
militia 1801 - 1816
british 1809 - 1814
enemy 1812 - 1814
savages 1812 - 1819
spain 1818 - 1821
likewise 1818 - 1824
chambers 1833 - 1835
french 1833 - 1835
bank 1833 - 1836
france 1834 - 1835
texas 1843 - 1846
annexation 1844 - 1846
mexican 1845 - 1847
her 1846 - 1847
mexico 1846 - 1847
steamers 1847 - 1849
oregon 1847 - 1852
california 1848 - 1852
kansas 1856 - 1858
slavery 1857 - 1860
whilst 1857 - 1860
slaves 1859 - 1863
rebellion 1861 - 1871
emancipation 1862 - 1864
paper 1867 - 1868
coinage 1877 - 1886
silver 1884 - 1885
silver 1889 - 1891
spanish 1897 - 1898
cuba 1897 - 1899
puerto 1898 - 1901
reserves 1901 - 1904
forest 1901 - 1905
forests 1907 - 1908
interstate 1907 - 1908
marketing 1919 - 1929
tile 1922 - 1928
ought 1925 - 1926
veterans 1925 - 1931
relief 1929 - 1935
depression 1930 - 1937
recovery 1930 - 1937
banks 1931 - 1934
democracy 1937 - 1941
wartime 1941 - 1947
production 1942 - 1943
fighting 1942 - 1945
japanese 1942 - 1945
war 1942 - 1945
peacetime 1945 - 1947
program 1946 - 1948
veterans 1946 - 1948
wage 1946 - 1949
housing 1946 - 1950
atomic 1947 - 1959
collective 1947 - 1961
aggression 1949 - 1955
defense 1951 - 1952
free 1951 - 1953
soviet 1951 - 1953
korea 1951 - 1954
communist 1951 - 1958
program 1954 - 1956
alliance 1961 - 1966
communist 1961 - 1967
poverty 1963 - 1969
propose 1965 - 1968
tonight 1965 - 1969
billion 1966 - 1969
vietnam 1966 - 1973
america 1970 - 1972
goal 1970 - 1974
inflation 1971 - 1980
energy 1974 - 1978
oil 1974 - 1981
significant 1974 - 1981
ensure 1974 - 1988
nuclear 1975 - 1981
strategic 1975 - 1981
percent 1975 - 1984
major 1977 - 1983
we've 1978 - 1980
commitment 1978 - 1981
sector 1978 - 1986
nation's 1979 - 1981
soviet 1979 - 1983
energy 1980 - 1981
1980's 1980 - 1982
initiatives 1980 - 1985
afghanistan 1980 - 1988
program 1981 - 1982
programs 1981 - 1983
women 1981 - 1984
chamber 1982 -
that's 1982 -
we're 1982 -
we've 1982 -
deficits 1982 - 1988
america's 1982 - 1992
spending 1982 - 1995
it's 1982 - 1996
there's 1982 - 1996
we'll 1982 - 1998
they're 1982 - 1999
can't 1983 -
child 1983 -
i'm 1983 - 1998
tonight 1984 -
tell 1984 - 1995
freedom 1985 - 1991
don't 1986 -
america 1986 - 1991
let's 1987 -
get 1987 - 1995
kids 1987 - 1995
let 1987 - 1995
businesses 1990 -
got 1990 -
parents 1990 -
something 1990 - 1997
cuts 1991 -
families 1991 -
crime 1991 - 1996
cut 1991 - 1996
jobs 1991 - 1998
hard 1991 - 1999
know 1991 - 1999
children 1992 -
thank 1992 -
health 1992 - 1994
want 1992 - 1995
you 1992 - 1995
americans 1994 -
medicare 1994 -
school 1994 -
welfare 1994 - 1997
bipartisan 1995 -
college 1995 -
communities 1995 -
working 1995 - 1996
america 1996 -
challenge 1996 -
schools 1996 -
teachers 1996 -
21st 1997 -
ask 1997 -
century 1997 -
help 1998 -
you 1998 - 1999