Answer:
A main purpose of the president’s State of the Union address is to identify major policy issues.
Explanation:
"The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution:
The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Article II, Section 3, Clause 1.
The constitutionally mandated presidential message has gone through a few name changes:
It began to be informally called the "state of the Union" message/address from 1942 to 1946.
Since 1947 it has officially been known as the State of the Union Address.
Earlier Annual Messages of the President included agency budget requests and general reports on the health of the economy. During the 20th century, Congress required more-specialized reports on these two aspects, separate from the Annual Message."
Reference: Office of the Historian. “State of the Union Address: US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives.” State of the Union | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, 2019
