President Bush will appear before Congress and the American people tonight to deliver his State of the Union address. With the low-approval rating the president has received recently, everyone should be paying attention tonight.Historically, dating back to George Washington delivering the first address on January 8, 1790, the annual State of the Union has been an opportunity for the president to assess the current standing of the union and present what his goals and agenda are for the future.

According to The Gallup Poll, the president’s current approval rating stands at 43 percent, with 54 percent disapproving, and only 35 percent say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States.

If the president follows what history has set as precedent for the purpose of the State of the Union, it is imperative that the public watch and listen to what he plans to do over the next two years. The majority of the public dissatisfied with the current standing of the nation is saddening.

Likewise, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they feel things have gotten worse in the United States, according to the Gallup Poll. The president needs to regain the confidence of his people and convince them he is in fact doing what we elected him to do.

Interestingly, when those who said they thought conditions had worsened were asked why that was, 26 percent said Iraq and 24 percent said the economy; however, when the economy and foreign policy questions were grouped, economic-oriented concerns accounted for 55 percent, whereas Iraq accounted for only 37 percent, according to the Gallup Poll.

Foreign policy seems to have fallen lower on the spectrum. But with all of the international issues facing the United States – Iraq, Hamas, Iran – people need to be informed and concerned with these issues as they are with domestic affairs.

Editor in Chief Courtney Reese for the editorial board.