To the Congress of the United States: The traditional form of the President's annual report giving "to the Congress Information of the State of the Union" is a single message or address. As the affairs and concerns of our Union have multiplied over the years, however, so too have the subjects that require discussion in State of the Union Messages. This year in particular, with so many changes in Government programs under consideration--and with our very philosophy about the relationship between the individual and the State at an historic crossroads--a single, all-embracing State of the Union Message would not appear to be adequate. I have therefore decided to present my 1973 State of the Union report in the form of a series of messages during these early weeks of the 93rd Congress. The purpose of this first message in the series is to give a concise overview of where we stand as a people today, and to outline some of the general goals that I believe we should pursue over the next year and beyond. In coming weeks, I will send to the Congress further State of the Union reports on specific areas of policy including economic affairs, natural resources, human resources, community development and foreign and defense policy. The new course these messages will outline represents a fresh approach to Government: an approach that addresses the realities of the 1970s, not those of the 1930s or of the 1960s. The role of the Federal Government as we approach our third century of independence should not be to dominate any facet of American life, but rather to aid and encourage people, communities and institutions to deal with as many of the difficulties and challenges facing them as possible, and to help see to it that every American has a full and equal opportunity to realize his or her potential. If we were to continue to expand the Federal Government at the rate of the past several decades, it soon would consume us entirely. The time has come when we must make clear choices--choices between old programs that set worthy goals but failed to reach them and new programs that provide a better way to realize those goals; and choices, too, between competing programs--all of which may be desirable in themselves but only some of which we can afford with the finite resources at our command. Because our resources are not infinite, we also face a critical choice in 1973 between holding the line in Government spending and adopting expensive programs which will surely force up taxes and refuel inflation. Finally, it is vital at this time that we restore a greater sense of responsibility at the State and local level, and among individual Americans. WHERE WE STAND The basic state of our Union today is sound, and full of promise. We enter 1973 economically strong, militarily secure and, most important of all, at peace after a long and trying war. America continues to provide a better and more abundant life for more of its people than any other nation in the world. We have passed through one of the most difficult periods in our history without surrendering to despair and without dishonoring our ideals as a people. Looking back, there is a lesson in all this for all of us. The lesson is one that we sometimes had to learn the hard way over the past few years. But we did learn it. That lesson is that even potentially destructive forces can be converted into positive forces when we know how to channel them, and when we use common sense and common decency to create a climate of mutual respect and goodwill. By working together and harnessing the forces of nature, Americans have unlocked some of the great mysteries of the universe. Men have walked the surface of the moon and soared to new heights of discovery. This same spirit of discovery is helping us to conquer disease and suffering that have plagued our own planet since the dawn of time. By working together with the leaders of other nations, we have been able to build a new hope for lasting peace--for a structure of world order in which common interest outweighs old animosities, and in which a new generation of the human family can grow up at peace in a changing world. At home, we have learned that by working together we can create prosperity without fanning inflation; we can restore order without weakening freedom. THE CHALLENGES WE FACE These first years of the 1970s have been good years for America. Our job--all of us together--is to make 1973 and the years to come even better ones. I believe that we can. I believe that we can make the years leading to our Bicentennial the best four years in American history. But we must never forget that nothing worthwhile can be achieved without the will to succeed and the strength to sacrifice. Hard decisions must be made, and we must stick by them. In the field of foreign policy, we must remember that a strong America--an America whose word is believed and whose strength is respected--is essential to continued peace and understanding in the world. The peace with honor we have achieved in Vietnam has strengthened this basic American credibility. We must act in such a way in coming years that this credibility will remain intact, and with it, the world stability of which it is so indispensable a part. At home, we must reject the mistaken notion--a notion that has dominated too much of the public dialogue for too long--that ever bigger Government is the answer to every problem. We have learned only too well that heavy taxation and excessive Government spending are not a cure-all. In too many cases, instead of solving the problems they were aimed at, they have merely placed an ever heavier burden On the shoulders of the American taxpayer, in the form of higher taxes and a higher cost of living. At the same time they have deceived our people because many of the intended beneficiaries received far less than was promised, thus undermining public faith in the effectiveness of Government as a whole. The time has come for us to draw the line. The time has come for the responsible leaders of both political parties to take a stand against overgrown Government and for the American taxpayer. We are not spending the Federal Government's money, we are spending the taxpayer's money, and it must be spent in a way which guarantees his money's worth and yields the fullest possible benefit to the people being helped. The answer to many of the domestic problems we face is not higher taxes and more spending. It is less waste, more results and greater freedom for the individual American to earn a rightful place in his own community--and for States and localities to address their own needs in their own ways, in the light of their own priorities. By giving the people and their locally elected leaders a greater voice through changes such as revenue sharing, and by saying "no" to excessive Federal spending and higher taxes, we can help achieve this goal. COMING MESSAGES The policies which I will outline to the Congress in the weeks ahead represent a reaffirmation, not an abdication, of Federal responsibility. They represent a pragmatic rededication to social compassion and national excellence, in place of the combination of good intentions and fuzzy follow-through which too often in the past was thought sufficient. In the field of economic affairs, our objectives will be to hold down taxes, to continue controlling inflation, to promote economic growth, to increase productivity, to encourage foreign trade, to keep farm income high, to bolster small business, and to promote better labor-management relations: In the area of natural resources, my recommendations will include programs to preserve and enhance the environment, to advance science and technology, and to assure balanced use of our irreplaceable natural resources. In developing human resources, I will have recommendations to advance the Nation's health and education, to improve conditions of people in need, to carry forward our increasingly successful attacks on crime, drug abuse and injustice, and to deal with such important areas of special concern as consumer affairs. We will continue and improve our Nation's efforts to assist those who have served in the Armed Services in Vietnam through better job and training opportunities. We must do a better job in community development--in creating more livable communities, in which all of our children can grow up with fuller access to opportunity and greater immunity to the social evils and blights which now plague so many of our towns and cities. I shall have proposals to help us achieve this. I shall also deal with our defense and foreign policies, and with our new approaches to the role and structure of Government itself. Considered as a whole, this series of messages will be a blueprint for modernizing the concept and the functions of American Government to meet the needs of our people. Converting it into reality will require a spirit of cooperation and shared commitment on the part of all branches of the Government, for the goals we seek are not those of any single party or faction, they are goals for the betterment of all Americans. As President, I recognize that I cannot do this job alone. The Congress must help, and I pledge to do my part to achieve a constructive working relationship with the Congress. My sincere hope is that the executive and legislative branches can work together in this ,great undertaking in a positive spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. Working together--the Congress, the President and the people--I am confident that we can translate these proposals into an action program that can reform and revitalize American Government and, even more important, build a better life for all Americans. RICHARD NIXON 
The White House, 
February 2, 1973.
To the Congress of the United States: The traditional form of the President's annual report giving "to the Congress Information of the State of the Union" is a single message or address. As the affairs and concerns of our Union have multiplied over the years, however, so too have the subjects that require discussion in State of the Union Messages. This year in particular, with so many changes in Government programs under consideration--and with our very philosophy about the relationship between the individual and the State at an historic crossroads--a single, all-embracing State of the Union Message would not appear to be adequate. I have therefore decided to present my 1973 State of the Union report in the form of a series of messages during these early weeks of the 93rd Congress. The purpose of this first message in the series is to give a concise overview of where we stand as a people today, and to outline some of the general goals that I believe we should pursue over the next year and beyond. In coming weeks, I will send to the Congress further State of the Union reports on specific areas of policy including economic affairs, natural resources, human resources, community development and foreign and defense policy. The new course these messages will outline represents a fresh approach to Government: an approach that addresses the realities of the 1970s, not those of the 1930s or of the 1960s. The role of the Federal Government as we approach our third century of independence should not be to dominate any facet of American life, but rather to aid and encourage people, communities and institutions to deal with as many of the difficulties and challenges facing them as possible, and to help see to it that every American has a full and equal opportunity to realize his or her potential. If we were to continue to expand the Federal Government at the rate of the past several decades, it soon would consume us entirely. The time has come when we must make clear choices--choices between old programs that set worthy goals but failed to reach them and new programs that provide a better way to realize those goals; and choices, too, between competing programs--all of which may be desirable in themselves but only some of which we can afford with the finite resources at our command. Because our resources are not infinite, we also face a critical choice in 1973 between holding the line in Government spending and adopting expensive programs which will surely force up taxes and refuel inflation. Finally, it is vital at this time that we restore a greater sense of responsibility at the State and local level, and among individual Americans. WHERE WE STAND The basic state of our Union today is sound, and full of promise. We enter 1973 economically strong, militarily secure and, most important of all, at peace after a long and trying war. America continues to provide a better and more abundant life for more of its people than any other nation in the world. We have passed through one of the most difficult periods in our history without surrendering to despair and without dishonoring our ideals as a people. Looking back, there is a lesson in all this for all of us. The lesson is one that we sometimes had to learn the hard way over the past few years. But we did learn it. That lesson is that even potentially destructive forces can be converted into positive forces when we know how to channel them, and when we use common sense and common decency to create a climate of mutual respect and goodwill. By working together and harnessing the forces of nature, Americans have unlocked some of the great mysteries of the universe. Men have walked the surface of the moon and soared to new heights of discovery. This same spirit of discovery is helping us to conquer disease and suffering that have plagued our own planet since the dawn of time. By working together with the leaders of other nations, we have been able to build a new hope for lasting peace--for a structure of world order in which common interest outweighs old animosities, and in which a new generation of the human family can grow up at peace in a changing world. At home, we have learned that by working together we can create prosperity without fanning inflation; we can restore order without weakening freedom. THE CHALLENGES WE FACE These first years of the 1970s have been good years for America. Our job--all of us together--is to make 1973 and the years to come even better ones. I believe that we can. I believe that we can make the years leading to our Bicentennial the best four years in American history. But we must never forget that nothing worthwhile can be achieved without the will to succeed and the strength to sacrifice. Hard decisions must be made, and we must stick by them. In the field of foreign policy, we must remember that a strong America--an America whose word is believed and whose strength is respected--is essential to continued peace and understanding in the world. The peace with honor we have achieved in Vietnam has strengthened this basic American credibility. We must act in such a way in coming years that this credibility will remain intact, and with it, the world stability of which it is so indispensable a part. At home, we must reject the mistaken notion--a notion that has dominated too much of the public dialogue for too long--that ever bigger Government is the answer to every problem. We have learned only too well that heavy taxation and excessive Government spending are not a cure-all. In too many cases, instead of solving the problems they were aimed at, they have merely placed an ever heavier burden On the shoulders of the American taxpayer, in the form of higher taxes and a higher cost of living. At the same time they have deceived our people because many of the intended beneficiaries received far less than was promised, thus undermining public faith in the effectiveness of Government as a whole. The time has come for us to draw the line. The time has come for the responsible leaders of both political parties to take a stand against overgrown Government and for the American taxpayer. We are not spending the Federal Government's money, we are spending the taxpayer's money, and it must be spent in a way which guarantees his money's worth and yields the fullest possible benefit to the people being helped. The answer to many of the domestic problems we face is not higher taxes and more spending. It is less waste, more results and greater freedom for the individual American to earn a rightful place in his own community--and for States and localities to address their own needs in their own ways, in the light of their own priorities. By giving the people and their locally elected leaders a greater voice through changes such as revenue sharing, and by saying "no" to excessive Federal spending and higher taxes, we can help achieve this goal. COMING MESSAGES The policies which I will outline to the Congress in the weeks ahead represent a reaffirmation, not an abdication, of Federal responsibility. They represent a pragmatic rededication to social compassion and national excellence, in place of the combination of good intentions and fuzzy follow-through which too often in the past was thought sufficient. In the field of economic affairs, our objectives will be to hold down taxes, to continue controlling inflation, to promote economic growth, to increase productivity, to encourage foreign trade, to keep farm income high, to bolster small business, and to promote better labor-management relations: In the area of natural resources, my recommendations will include programs to preserve and enhance the environment, to advance science and technology, and to assure balanced use of our irreplaceable natural resources. In developing human resources, I will have recommendations to advance the Nation's health and education, to improve conditions of people in need, to carry forward our increasingly successful attacks on crime, drug abuse and injustice, and to deal with such important areas of special concern as consumer affairs. We will continue and improve our Nation's efforts to assist those who have served in the Armed Services in Vietnam through better job and training opportunities. We must do a better job in community development--in creating more livable communities, in which all of our children can grow up with fuller access to opportunity and greater immunity to the social evils and blights which now plague so many of our towns and cities. I shall have proposals to help us achieve this. I shall also deal with our defense and foreign policies, and with our new approaches to the role and structure of Government itself. Considered as a whole, this series of messages will be a blueprint for modernizing the concept and the functions of American Government to meet the needs of our people. Converting it into reality will require a spirit of cooperation and shared commitment on the part of all branches of the Government, for the goals we seek are not those of any single party or faction, they are goals for the betterment of all Americans. As President, I recognize that I cannot do this job alone. The Congress must help, and I pledge to do my part to achieve a constructive working relationship with the Congress. My sincere hope is that the executive and legislative branches can work together in this ,great undertaking in a positive spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. Working together--the Congress, the President and the people--I am confident that we can translate these proposals into an action program that can reform and revitalize American Government and, even more important, build a better life for all Americans. RICHARD NIXON The White House, February 2, 1973.
to the congress of the united states the traditional form of the president annual report giving to the congress information of the state of the union is a single message or address as the affairs and concerns of our union have multiplied over the years however so too have the subjects that require discussion in state of the union messages this year in particular with so many changes in government programs under consideration and with our very philosophy about the relationship between the individual and the state at an historic crossroads a single state of the union message would not appear to be adequate i have therefore decided to present my 1973 state of the union report in the form of a series of messages during these early weeks of the 93rd congress the purpose of this first message in the series is to give a concise overview of where we stand as a people today and to outline some of the general goals that i believe we should pursue over the next year and beyond in coming weeks i will send to the congress further state of the union reports on specific areas of policy including economic affairs natural resources human resources community development and foreign and defense policy the new course these messages will outline represents a fresh approach to government an approach that addresses the realities of the 1970s not those of the 1930s or of the 1960s the role of the federal government as we approach our third century of independence should not be to dominate any facet of american life but rather to aid and encourage people communities and institutions to deal with as many of the difficulties and challenges facing them as possible and to help see to it that every american has a full and equal opportunity to realize his or her potential if we were to continue to expand the federal government at the rate of the past several decades it soon would consume us entirely the time has come when we must make clear choices choices between old programs that set worthy goals but failed to reach them and new programs that provide a better way to realize those goals and choices too between competing programs all of which may be desirable in themselves but only some of which we can afford with the finite resources at our command because our resources are not infinite we also face a critical choice in 1973 between holding the line in government spending and adopting expensive programs which will surely force up taxes and refuel inflation finally it is vital at this time that we restore a greater sense of responsibility at the state and local level and among individual americans where we stand the basic state of our union today is sound and full of promise we enter 1973 economically strong militarily secure and most important of all at peace after a long and trying war america continues to provide a better and more abundant life for more of its people than any other nation in the world we have passed through one of the most difficult periods in our history without surrendering to despair and without dishonoring our ideals as a people looking back there is a lesson in all this for all of us the lesson is one that we sometimes had to learn the hard way over the past few years but we did learn it that lesson is that even potentially destructive forces can be converted into positive forces when we know how to channel them and when we use common sense and common decency to create a climate of mutual respect and goodwill by working together and harnessing the forces of nature americans have unlocked some of the great mysteries of the universe men have walked the surface of the moon and soared to new heights of discovery this same spirit of discovery is helping us to conquer disease and suffering that have plagued our own planet since the dawn of time by working together with the leaders of other nations we have been able to build a new hope for lasting peace for a structure of world order in which common interest outweighs old animosities and in which a new generation of the human family can grow up at peace in a changing world at home we have learned that by working together we can create prosperity without fanning inflation we can restore order without weakening freedom the challenges we face these first years of the 1970s have been good years for america our job all of us together is to make 1973 and the years to come even better ones i believe that we can i believe that we can make the years leading to our bicentennial the best four years in american history but we must never forget that nothing worthwhile can be achieved without the will to succeed and the strength to sacrifice hard decisions must be made and we must stick by them in the field of foreign policy we must remember that a strong america an america whose word is believed and whose strength is respected is essential to continued peace and understanding in the world the peace with honor we have achieved in vietnam has strengthened this basic american credibility we must act in such a way in coming years that this credibility will remain intact and with it the world stability of which it is so indispensable a part at home we must reject the mistaken notion a notion that has dominated too much of the public dialogue for too long that ever bigger government is the answer to every problem we have learned only too well that heavy taxation and excessive government spending are not a in too many cases instead of solving the problems they were aimed at they have merely placed an ever heavier burden on the shoulders of the american taxpayer in the form of higher taxes and a higher cost of living at the same time they have deceived our people because many of the intended beneficiaries received far less than was promised thus undermining public faith in the effectiveness of government as a whole the time has come for us to draw the line the time has come for the responsible leaders of both political parties to take a stand against overgrown government and for the american taxpayer we are not spending the federal government money we are spending the taxpayer money and it must be spent in a way which guarantees his money worth and yields the fullest possible benefit to the people being helped the answer to many of the domestic problems we face is not higher taxes and more spending it is less waste more results and greater freedom for the individual american to earn a rightful place in his own community and for states and localities to address their own needs in their own ways in the light of their own priorities by giving the people and their locally elected leaders a greater voice through changes such as revenue sharing and by saying no to excessive federal spending and higher taxes we can help achieve this goal coming messages the policies which i will outline to the congress in the weeks ahead represent a reaffirmation not an abdication of federal responsibility they represent a pragmatic rededication to social compassion and national excellence in place of the combination of good intentions and fuzzy which too often in the past was thought sufficient in the field of economic affairs our objectives will be to hold down taxes to continue controlling inflation to promote economic growth to increase productivity to encourage foreign trade to keep farm income high to bolster small business and to promote better relations in the area of natural resources my recommendations will include programs to preserve and enhance the environment to advance science and technology and to assure balanced use of our irreplaceable natural resources in developing human resources i will have recommendations to advance the nation health and education to improve conditions of people in need to carry forward our increasingly successful attacks on crime drug abuse and injustice and to deal with such important areas of special concern as consumer affairs we will continue and improve our nation efforts to assist those who have served in the armed services in vietnam through better job and training opportunities we must do a better job in community development in creating more livable communities in which all of our children can grow up with fuller access to opportunity and greater immunity to the social evils and blights which now plague so many of our towns and cities i shall have proposals to help us achieve this i shall also deal with our defense and foreign policies and with our new approaches to the role and structure of government itself considered as a whole this series of messages will be a blueprint for modernizing the concept and the functions of american government to meet the needs of our people converting it into reality will require a spirit of cooperation and shared commitment on the part of all branches of the government for the goals we seek are not those of any single party or faction they are goals for the betterment of all americans as president i recognize that i can not do this job alone the congress must help and i pledge to do my part to achieve a constructive working relationship with the congress my sincere hope is that the executive and legislative branches can work together in this great undertaking in a positive spirit of mutual respect and cooperation working together the congress the president and the people i am confident that we can translate these proposals into an action program that can reform and revitalize american government and even more important build a better life for all americans richard nixon the white house february 2 1973
congress united states traditional form president annual report giving congress information state union single message address affairs concerns union multiplied years however subjects require discussion state union messages year particular many changes government programs consideration philosophy relationship individual state historic crossroads single state union message would appear adequate therefore decided present 1973 state union report form series messages early weeks 93rd congress purpose first message series give concise overview stand people today outline general goals believe pursue next year beyond coming weeks send congress state union reports specific areas policy including economic affairs natural resources human resources community development foreign defense policy new course messages outline represents fresh approach government approach addresses realities 1970s 1930s 1960s role federal government approach third century independence dominate facet american life rather aid encourage people communities institutions deal many difficulties challenges facing possible help see every american full equal opportunity realize potential continue expand federal government rate past several decades soon would consume us entirely time come must make clear choices choices old programs set worthy goals failed reach new programs provide better way realize goals choices competing programs may desirable afford finite resources command resources infinite also face critical choice 1973 holding line government spending adopting expensive programs surely force taxes refuel inflation finally vital time restore greater sense responsibility state local level among individual americans stand basic state union today sound full promise enter 1973 economically strong militarily secure important peace long trying war america continues provide better abundant life people nation world passed one difficult periods history without surrendering despair without dishonoring ideals people looking back lesson us lesson one sometimes learn hard way past years learn lesson even potentially destructive forces converted positive forces know channel use common sense common decency create climate mutual respect goodwill working together harnessing forces nature americans unlocked great mysteries universe men walked surface moon soared new heights discovery spirit discovery helping us conquer disease suffering plagued planet since dawn time working together leaders nations able build new hope lasting peace structure world order common interest outweighs old animosities new generation human family grow peace changing world home learned working together create prosperity without fanning inflation restore order without weakening freedom challenges face first years 1970s good years america job us together make 1973 years come even better ones believe believe make years leading bicentennial best four years american history must never forget nothing worthwhile achieved without succeed strength sacrifice hard decisions must made must stick field foreign policy must remember strong america america whose word believed whose strength respected essential continued peace understanding world peace honor achieved vietnam strengthened basic american credibility must act way coming years credibility remain intact world stability indispensable part home must reject mistaken notion notion dominated much public dialogue long ever bigger government answer every problem learned well heavy taxation excessive government spending many cases instead solving problems aimed merely placed ever heavier burden shoulders american taxpayer form higher taxes higher cost living time deceived people many intended beneficiaries received far less promised thus undermining public faith effectiveness government whole time come us draw line time come responsible leaders political parties take stand overgrown government american taxpayer spending federal government money spending taxpayer money must spent way guarantees money worth yields fullest possible benefit people helped answer many domestic problems face higher taxes spending less waste results greater freedom individual american earn rightful place community states localities address needs ways light priorities giving people locally elected leaders greater voice changes revenue sharing saying excessive federal spending higher taxes help achieve goal coming messages policies outline congress weeks ahead represent reaffirmation abdication federal responsibility represent pragmatic rededication social compassion national excellence place combination good intentions fuzzy often past thought sufficient field economic affairs objectives hold taxes continue controlling inflation promote economic growth increase productivity encourage foreign trade keep farm income high bolster small business promote better relations area natural resources recommendations include programs preserve enhance environment advance science technology assure balanced use irreplaceable natural resources developing human resources recommendations advance nation health education improve conditions people need carry forward increasingly successful attacks crime drug abuse injustice deal important areas special concern consumer affairs continue improve nation efforts assist served armed services vietnam better job training opportunities must better job community development creating livable communities children grow fuller access opportunity greater immunity social evils blights plague many towns cities shall proposals help us achieve shall also deal defense foreign policies new approaches role structure government considered whole series messages blueprint modernizing concept functions american government meet needs people converting reality require spirit cooperation shared commitment part branches government goals seek single party faction goals betterment americans president recognize job alone congress must help pledge part achieve constructive working relationship congress sincere hope executive legislative branches work together great undertaking positive spirit mutual respect cooperation working together congress president people confident translate proposals action program reform revitalize american government even important build better life americans richard nixon white house february 2 1973
congress united state traditional form president annual report give congress information state union single message address affair concern union multiply year however subject require discussion state union message year particular many change government program consideration philosophy relationship individual state historic crossroad single state union message would appear adequate therefore decide present 1973 state union report form series message early week 93rd congress purpose first message series give concise overview stand people today outline general goal believe pursue next year beyond coming week send congress state union report specific area policy include economic affair natural resource human resource community development foreign defense policy new course message outline represent fresh approach government approach address reality 1970s 1930s 1960s role federal government approach third century independence dominate facet american life rather aid encourage people community institution deal many difficulty challenge face possible help see every american full equal opportunity realize potential continue expand federal government rate past several decade soon would consume u entirely time come must make clear choice choice old program set worthy goal fail reach new program provide good way realize goal choice compete program may desirable afford finite resource command resource infinite also face critical choice 1973 hold line government spending adopt expensive program surely force tax refuel inflation finally vital time restore great sense responsibility state local level among individual american stand basic state union today sound full promise enter 1973 economically strong militarily secure important peace long try war america continue provide good abundant life people nation world pass one difficult period history without surrender despair without dishonor ideal people look back lesson u lesson one sometimes learn hard way past year learn lesson even potentially destructive force convert positive force know channel use common sense common decency create climate mutual respect goodwill work together harness force nature american unlocked great mystery universe men walk surface moon soar new height discovery spirit discovery help u conquer disease suffer plague planet since dawn time work together leader nation able build new hope last peace structure world order common interest outweighs old animosity new generation human family grow peace change world home learn work together create prosperity without fan inflation restore order without weaken freedom challenge face first year 1970s good year america job u together make 1973 year come even good one believe believe make year lead bicentennial best four year american history must never forget nothing worthwhile achieve without succeed strength sacrifice hard decision must make must stick field foreign policy must remember strong america america whose word believe whose strength respect essential continue peace understanding world peace honor achieve vietnam strengthen basic american credibility must act way come year credibility remain intact world stability indispensable part home must reject mistaken notion notion dominate much public dialogue long ever big government answer every problem learn well heavy taxation excessive government spend many case instead solve problem aim merely place ever heavy burden shoulder american taxpayer form high tax higher cost living time deceive people many intended beneficiary receive far less promised thus undermine public faith effectiveness government whole time come u draw line time come responsible leader political party take stand overgrown government american taxpayer spend federal government money spending taxpayer money must spend way guarantee money worth yield full possible benefit people help answer many domestic problem face high tax spend less waste result great freedom individual american earn rightful place community state locality address needs way light priority give people locally elect leader great voice change revenue share say excessive federal spending high tax help achieve goal come message policy outline congress week ahead represent reaffirmation abdication federal responsibility represent pragmatic rededication social compassion national excellence place combination good intention fuzzy often past thought sufficient field economic affair objective hold tax continue control inflation promote economic growth increase productivity encourage foreign trade keep farm income high bolster small business promote better relation area natural resource recommendation include program preserve enhance environment advance science technology assure balance use irreplaceable natural resource develop human resource recommendation advance nation health education improve condition people need carry forward increasingly successful attack crime drug abuse injustice deal important area special concern consumer affair continue improve nation effort assist serve armed service vietnam good job training opportunity must better job community development create livable community child grow full access opportunity great immunity social evil blight plague many town city shall proposal help u achieve shall also deal defense foreign policy new approach role structure government consider whole series message blueprint modernize concept function american government meet need people convert reality require spirit cooperation share commitment part branch government goal seek single party faction goal betterment american president recognize job alone congress must help pledge part achieve constructive work relationship congress sincere hope executive legislative branch work together great undertake positive spirit mutual respect cooperation work together congress president people confident translate proposal action program reform revitalize american government even important build well life american richard nixon white house february 2 1973