how to write a speech to the president

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How to Write a Presidential Speech?

Table of Contents

Running for student government election and looking for a strong presidential campaign speech example? Public speaking is quite challenging and requires a specific set of advanced skills.

President’s talks are direct communications between the president and the people of the country. They connect people across the nations and compel them to take actions which have vital consequences for the growth.

Those happen on specific occasions like president’s inaugurals, f.e. They can be responses to imperatives or represent initiatives, declaring the policy and setting people on a new course.

Compelling presentations combine strategic writing, comprehensive planning, and confident delivery. In this guide, you will find useful tips on how to convince your audience to support your cause or join your team.

How to write a presidential speech

Whether it is an election of the president or a school-associated election, the speech has to be persuasive and convey a clear relevant message across the public. Speakers have to convince everybody that they are the right candidates for the job and persuade people to vote for them.

How to write a presidential campaign speech?

Keep it simple. The most effective presentations are written in clear language and short sentences. Use these quick tips to present your main points convincingly and intelligently.

• Speak about major issues that matter to voters . Create an outline of talking points.
• Keep sentences short and related to your key message.
• Thank your audience for attending the event and make them feel you are chatting with each of them .
• Write like people talk and use the problem-solution format .
• Present your ability to make changes for the better happen. Show your passion.
• Avoid insults and focus on the bright side .
• Repeat key themes, using repetitive phrases at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.
• When concluding, encourage people to take action and thank them for their time.
• Take inspiration from the best politicians and public speakers. Read powerful pieces, which stood the test of time.

How to start a presidential speech

It’s critical to start a public speaking piece correctly. Brainstorm several essential ideas before writing.

Outline what you would like to say in your introduction. In this part, you should include an appropriate greeting, acknowledge important people, and briefly explain the reasons for your public speaking.

… How to do it right?

• Include your greeting in the first couple of sentences.
• Acknowledge your audience and everyone of importance.
• Briefly speak about the objective of your presentation.
• Use some humor to break the ice, if appropriate.

Presidential speech examples

Now, as we have discussed the key ideas on how to write a presidential campaign speech, we’ll move on to a bit of practice.

If you have never written speeches before, you might be slightly unsure. There would be dozens of questions, like:

• Where to find exciting ideas worth including in your piece?
• How to organize them?
• How to communicate your great ideas to an audience?

Speechwriting is an art that requires a lot of work and dedication. If you face writing issues, the best thing for you is learning from others and looking for inspiration in a good presidential speech example.

Good examples can help candidates create exciting and motivating public speaking pieces.

Presidential campaign speech example

Are you willing to participate in school government elections? See this campaign presentation written by a student for additional inspiration.

Hello, my fellow Americans, my name is Kate Smith. I am running for school president. You might be saying to yourself: “Is Kate qualified to lead us as a student body president? She has been at our school for only one year.” I have several great reasons why you should vote for me. I have a sense of humor. I really enjoy being involved in school life. I am persistent, and I always put all my energy into everything I do no matter how long it takes. I always finish what I start doing. I am a compassionate leader and promise to listen to your opinions before making decisions. I come from a different school, and I have some new ideas for you. Vote for me if you are ready for a change. Should you elect me, I will never let you down. Thank you for listening.

Presidential acceptance speech example

Take a look at presidential acceptance speech example which can serve you as a template if you lack ideas on how to start.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I especially welcome my family and friends who have traveled here to support me. I promise I won’t bore you with a long speech. I’m honored and privileged to have been elected as president of our club. I will do my best to meet the challenge. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the great performance of our previous leader Richard White. He guided us in carrying out many projects for the benefits of our community. Congratulations to our new vice president Alice Brown, our new board members, and all our fellow club members who have shown their confidence in me. I am grateful for your tremendous support and look forward to serving with you in order to make people’s lives better.

Presidential election speech example

There are plenty of online resources, where students can find a memorable presidential election speech example.

Get a better understanding of how to make it all appealing to voters. Review a short passage created for an imaginary candidate.

Thank you all for being here, your warm welcome, and friendly support. I know you are here because our country has come to a crossroad. In fact, it’s the most critical election of our lifetime. You have to choose whether our society makes a U-turn or moves forward to a great future and prosperity. It’s up to us, whether we change the existing political landscape of our country or not. Loads of issues divide us into small confronting groups. But I would rather focus on the common grounds that we all share and need to cultivate. These are issues where we can make progress.

How to cite a presidential speech

There are specific rules on citing a presidential speech in every citation style – APA, MLA, Harvard or Chicago. In this article, we provide students with templates showing how to cite a presidential speech in Chicago style, and how to cite a presidential speech in APA style.

You need a documented source of presentation in video, text (an online transcript, a book) or recorded audio. To format your citations properly, you have to write down the following information:

• Speaker’s name and surname.
• Date when a piece was delivered.
• Name of the editor.

How to cite a presidential speech in Chicago style?

Use the following structure to cite a book :

Speaker’s Surname, Name. “Title.” Year of Delivery. In Title of Book, edited by Editor. City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Citing online transcript:

Speaker’s Surname, Name. “Title.” Speech, Location, Date. “Webpage Title,” Site Title. Accessed Date. URL.

How to cite a presidential speech in APA style?

Use APA citation of a book :

Online transcript citation :

We hope that our easy tips on how to write a presidential speech and on how to cite a presidential speech will help you succeed in creating most stunning.

If you follow our guidelines, the only thing left to worry about would be: Where is the teleprompter for a presidential speech?

The teleprompter is a beneficial device that allows speakers to look natural and have no risk of forgetting or losing lines. We also recommend having a printed copy of your presentation for even more confidence.

Afraid your presidential speech won’t be high-end? Hand it to our writers, and get a top-notch text back! Psst, it’s done in a few clicks only…

11 simple steps to help you write a research paper on climate change

Problem solution essay topics, types of research papers.

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How to Write a Great Speech, According to the Obamas’ Speechwriter

It was the summer of 1998, the end of her junior year of college, when Sarah Hurwitz fell in love with the art form of writing the perfect speech, having scored an internship at the White House in Vice President Al Gore’s speechwriting office. “Every day, his staff used words to move, inspire, comfort, and empower people,” she recalls. “I still can’t imagine a better way to spend a career.”

And what an extraordinary career Hurwitz’s has been. After graduating from Harvard Law School, she became the chief speechwriter for Hillary Rodham Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaign. Eventually, she returned to the White House, serving as the head speechwriter for first lady Michelle Obama and as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama between 2009 and 2017.

Here, Hurwitz shares 11 nuggets of speechwriting wisdom that she’s garnered along the way so that you can shine at your next public address, whether that be a televised political debate, a work presentation, or a toast at your best friend’s wedding.

1. Channel the person who is speaking

The true art of speechwriting isn’t scripting someone—it’s channeling their voice. My first step when writing a speech for Mrs. Obama would be to sit down with her and ask, “What would you like to say?” She knows who she is, and she always knows what she wants to say. She’s also a naturally gifted speaker and writer, so I’d transcribe as she talked, forming the basis of the first draft.

2. Research and understand your audience

Who are you talking to? What are they concerned about? Why are you speaking to them? How well do they know you? What’s the venue? If Mrs. Obama was speaking at a university, for example, it was important to understand the history and student body of that university. If you’re giving a toast at your best friend’s wedding, you need to know if you can tell a story that’s a bit edgy or if their family will get offended.

3. Know that structure is destiny

If you have a bad structure, you can’t have a good speech. Every paragraph should flow logically from one to the next. When I’m trying to figure out the structure of a speech, I’ll often print it out and cut it up with scissors so I can move parts around. It’s only then that I realize the order is wrong or I see that I’m repeating myself or I notice that certain passages could be combined.

4. Seek multiple opinions  

It’s really important to ask other people to look at your speech—as many as possible, especially if you’re speaking to a community that you don’t know well. You need to find someone from that audience who understands its cultural sensitivities and norms so you speak in a way that inspires people rather than causing offense.

5. Throw the rulebook out of the window

Writing to be read and writing to be heard are two very different skills. Spoken language doesn’t need to conform to grammar and punctuation norms. I often use ellipses instead of commas to indicate pauses because they’re easier to see. It’s fine to space things weirdly on the page or add notations if it helps you—all that matters is how the words sound coming out of your mouth.

With that in mind, you should edit out loud. Don’t just sit looking at your computer screen—print the speech out, practice delivering it, and edit as you go.

6. Listening is the key to great speaking

There were hundreds of occasions when Mrs. Obama gave me feedback that ultimately influenced how I write. My drafts would be covered in her handwritten edits: “Are the transitions seamless? Is the structure logical? Is this language the most vivid and moving that it can be?” And I would learn from those edits.

As I write, I hear her voice in my head saying things like, “This part is getting bogged down in the weeds,“ “we’re missing the beating heart,” “we’re missing the real human side of this issue.” Hone your ability to identify the weakest parts that aren’t working.

7. Speak like you usually do

It’s fine to ask yourself, “What will make me sound smart or powerful or funny?’”or “What does the audience want to hear?” But your first question should really be, “What is the deepest, most important truth that I can tell at this particular moment?” All too often people focus on how they’re going to say something rather than on what they’re actually going to say.

Then, when they give a speech, they often take on an overly formal and stiff giving-a-speech voice or they slip into their professional jargon and use words that no one understands. If something feels unnatural or awkward when you say it, go back and rewrite it until it sounds like you.

8. Show, don’t tell

This may sound like a basic writing tip, but it’s rare that people execute this well. If you’re bored during a speech, it’s probably because the person is telling not showing. Mrs. Obama didn’t start her 2016 Democratic National Convention speech by saying: “On my daughter’s first day of school at the White House, I was nervous, afraid, and anxious.” She said: “I will never forget that winter morning as I watched our girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black SUVs with all those big men with guns. And I saw their little faces pressed up against the window, and the only thing I could think was, What have we done?” It’s such a searing image. Anytime you find yourself using a lot of adjectives, stop, step back, and think about painting a picture for people instead.

9. Don’t let technology get in the way

We’re living in the age of Zoom, and many people are delivering speeches virtually, which creates a whole new set of challenges. The audience often has their cameras turned off, or even if they’re on, there’s a disconnect. For this reason, I’d advise against a lecture-style format on Zoom. Instead, opt for interview style—give your host a set of questions to ask you so you can convey your message. This back-and-forth is more engaging via video calls.

10. Watch the clock

People are distracted today and have limited bandwidth to listen to what you are saying, so it’s really important to focus your message. Do you want them to feel reassured, courageous, fired up? Whatever the emotion, really think about that as you’re writing your speech. As for the length, it depends on your venue. If you’re doing a toast at your best friend’s wedding, keep it to five minutes (it’s not your wedding!), and for a keynote speech, no longer than 20 minutes.

11. Consider the format

Unless you have an incredible memory, don’t put yourself under added pressure by trying to learn your speech by heart. That said, what you read from matters. Some speakers are most comfortable with their speech when it’s written out verbatim. For others, reading a speech word for word feels awkward. Try experimenting with different formats, such as bullet points or cue cards. If you’re printing your remarks out on paper, keep the text on the top two-thirds of the page—otherwise, as you get to the bottom of the page, you’ll have to bend your neck to look down, and you’ll end up swallowing your words and breaking eye contact with your audience. 

*Sarah Hurwitz ’s debut book, Here All Along (Penguin Random House), is out now.

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Persuasive Presidential Speech: Expert & Effective Guide

Table of Contents

A solid presidential speech can be an effective tool to inspire and rally your supporters, but it also requires careful consideration and preparation. This article will guide you if you are wondering  how to write a persuasive presidential speech .

As president, your speeches are crucial to communicating with the people you represent. Writing a persuasive presidential address is a task that requires comprehensive planning and a strategic approach. Your words must inspire action, connect people, and shape the future, whether you’re President of the United States or a school association.

Here are a few helpful tips for crafting a well-written persuasive presidential speech.

How to Write a Persuasive Presidential Speech

When it comes to writing a presidential speech , simplicity is key. Your audience should be able to understand your message without getting lost in complex language or wordy sentences. 

The following are some guidelines to assist you in convincing your audience and effectively communicating your message:

1. Create an Outline

Create an outline of your main talking points. This will assist you in remaining focused on the issues that are most important to your audience.

2. Keep Your Sentences Short and concise.

Keep sentences related to your main message short and to the point. This will help your audience stay engaged and make it easier for them to understand your message.

3. Show Gratitude

Be grateful for your audience’s attendance and make it feel like you are speaking to them individually. This will help build a personal connection with your audience and make them more receptive to your message.

4. Be Clear About How you Will Solve any Problems You are Addressing.

Outline the problems your audience is facing and how you propose to solve them using the problem-solution structure. This will make it easier for your audience to comprehend your strategy and why you are the best person for the task.

5. Focus on the positives

If you are writing a campaign speech, let your speech focus on the positive aspects of your campaign and avoid insults or negativity. This will help you maintain a positive image and avoid alienating your audience.

6. Use repetitive phrases

To emphasize important concepts, use recurring words and phrases throughout the speech. Your message will become more effective due to the audience’s ability to remember it.

7. End with a call to action

Motivate the audience to take action and thank them for listening to your speech. This will help you end on a high note and inspire your audience to support your campaign.

8. Take a cue from great speakers.

Take inspiration from successful public speakers and politicians. Observing the techniques and strategies used by successful leaders can help you craft a more effective speech.

How to Start a Presidential Speech

The introduction of a presidential speech is crucial in setting the tone and capturing the audience’s attention . Here are some tips for starting your speech effectively:

• Begin with a greeting and acknowledge any important individuals in the audience. This will help you establish a personal connection with your audience and show respect for their presence.
• Briefly explain the reason for your speech and consider using humor to break the ice, if appropriate. This act will help you connect with your audience and increase their receptivity to your message.

Planning Your Speech

Effective planning is key to delivering a strong presidential speech. When preparing your speech, take into account the following steps:

1. Choose a few key issues to address .

These should be problems that are important to your audience and that you are passionate about solving.

2. Highlight your involvement in your community. 

Show your audience that you are passionate about the community and active in it. Clubs, student government, events you’ve attended or helped plan, and volunteer work you’re working on make your audience more interested.

3. Emphasize your leadership skills

Find and use an approach that emphasizes your leadership skills and decision-making abilities. Use examples from your experience to demonstrate your ability to lead and make informed decisions. This will help your audience see that you have the skills and qualities necessary to be a successful leader.

4. Use Simple and Clear Transitions

Use simple transitions to help the audience follow along with your speech and comprehend its organization and main points. Link your point in simple ways. This will make it easier for your audience to pay attention and follow along with your speech.

5. Use Powerful Language and Imagery

Use powerful language and imagery to make an emotional connection with the audience. Using descriptive language and evocative imagery can help your audience feel more connected to your message and more invested in your campaign.

6. Practice and seek feedback

Practice your speech and consider seeking feedback from friends or advisors. By practicing your speech, you can improve your delivery and fine-tune your message. Seeking feedback from others can also help you identify areas for improvement and make your speech more effective.

Delivering Your Speech

Once you have composed and planned your speech, it’s time to focus on delivering it effectively. These tips will help you deliver a confident and compelling presidential speech:

• Use confident body language and facial expressions . By standing tall, making eye contact, and using confident gestures, you can project confidence and credibility to your audience.
• Use a clear and strong speaking voice . Practice speaking slowly and clearly to help your audience understand your message and stay engaged.
• Use appropriate pauses and emphasis. Use pauses to impact your message. By varying your pace and emphasizing key points, you can keep your audience’s attention and make your message more powerful.
• Use props or visual aids to help illustrate your points.  By using props or visual aids, you can help your audience better understand your message and make it more memorable.
• Engage with your Audience.  By asking questions, making jokes, and interacting with your audience, you can build a personal connection and make your speech more engaging.
• Show Passion . Show your passion for the issues you are addressing. This will help your audience see that you are committed to making a difference and care about their concerns.

Presidential Campaign Speech Example

My fellow Americans, I am Adam Brown, and today I stand before you as a candidate for the esteemed position of school president. I understand that some of you may have concerns about my qualifications. I am the youngest student ever to run for this office. However, I assure you that I can lead our student body to new heights of success and achievement.

I possess many qualities that make me uniquely suited to this role. First and foremost, I am a compassionate and inclusive leader. I’m always willing to listen to the voices and perspectives of my peers before making any decisions. I’m also a hardworking and persistent individual with a track record of successfully completing any task I set my mind to.

I am an active and engaged member of our school community, always seeking ways to get involved and make a lasting impact. I bring a fresh perspective and new ideas, having come from another school and ready to bring fresh air to our own.

If you elect me as your school president, I promise to work tirelessly on behalf of our student body. I will always put your needs and interests first. I will never let you down and will always strive to be the best leader I can be. Thank you for considering me for this vital role.

As a president or aspiring president, your speeches are important for inspiring and mobilizing people to take action. With these tips on  how to write a persuasive presidential speech , you can effectively communicate your message and convince your audience.

If you’re running for school president or leading a country, these tips can help you deliver a compelling speech.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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The President’s Speech, From First Draft to Delivery

By: History.com Staff

Updated: May 18, 2023 | Original: October 15, 2012

Why did you decide to undertake this project? Presidential speeches are direct communications between the nation’s chief executive and the people of the country. They articulate policy and distill the president’s beliefs, and as such they literally make history. Since the founding of America, presidential speeches have quelled fears and raised hopes. They have urged their fellow citizens to take courses of action that have had vital consequences for the growth, and even the survival, of the nation. As historical artifacts, presidential speeches deserve the closest and most thorough examination.

But they do not simply happen. The occasion for a speech can be a ceremony, as in presidential inaugurals. It can be a response to an imperative—the declaration of war or defusing a diplomatic or economic crisis. It also can be an initiative—a statement of policy by the president intended to set the nation on a new course. Or it can be some combination of the three. Each major presidential address begs a number of questions. What prompted the speech? How was it drafted, and by whom? Did the president write it himself, or was he a passive recipient of someone else’s ideas? How did the speech develop and who influenced its development? What were the circumstances under which it was delivered? What was its impact? In short, how did some of the most important documents in American history change between conception and delivery, and was that a good or bad thing?

As a working speechwriter who has made an academic study of the history of rhetoric, these are questions that fascinate me. This book is an attempt to answer those questions for a sampling of the most important presidential speeches in our history, and in doing so to help us to understand how our history was shaped and how things might have gone differently.

How did you go about your research for this book?

The premise for the book is the way a presidential speech changes between the first draft and delivery. I identified a universe of significant presidential speeches, then began winnowing them down based on the availability of first and intermediate drafts and supporting documents. Documentation could be spotty for early presidents, but more recent administrations presented the opposite difficulty. All of the drafts of a major speech by Lincoln would fill an envelope, but all of the drafts of a major speech by Ronald Reagan could fill several file boxes in his presidential library. After selecting a list of speeches satisfying the criteria, I set about obtaining copies of the drafts and identifying books, articles, letters and other papers containing significant information concerning the genesis and development of the speeches. I read my way through, analyzed the content and made authorial decisions as to what was significant and what was peripheral. I then tried to distill all the details into simple, clear narratives accompanied by facsimiles of representative documents to illustrate the process.

Can you share a story or two about a particularly interesting revision?

I think that the most significant single edit was by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his address to the U.S. Congress after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In his opening sentence, he changed the words of the draft presented to him from “a date which will live in history” to “a date which will live in infamy.” That one altered word assured the immortality of the phrase. Roosevelt made a number of other changes and rejected a lot of bad advice, crafting a very short but eternally memorable address.

One surprise concerned Lincoln’s first inaugural address. Lincoln was a superb, almost poetical writer and is almost universally believed to have crafted personally all of the memorable words he spoke. However, in the case of his first inaugural address, he sought the advice of his new secretary of state, William H. Seward. Lincoln barely knew Seward, and in fact they had been recent rivals for the Republican Party presidential nomination. Seward nevertheless made many suggestions softening the tone of the speech, and Lincoln accepted them. Lincoln replaced his own literal saber-rattling “shall it be peace or the sword?” closure with Seward’s “better angels of our nature” conclusion, altering Seward’s words in his own inimitable fashion to hold out an olive branch to the secessionist South. It is a rare instance of a significant contribution by another person to Lincoln’s speeches, although Seward continued as a close advisor and confidante to Lincoln throughout his presidency.

What does the book tell us about each president’s involvement in crafting his own addresses, as well as the role of speechwriters throughout American history?

There is a broad spectrum of involvement. Early presidents gave fewer formal remarks, and generally turned to high-level advisers for their writing help. Washington could call on both Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, for example, not to mention Thomas Jefferson. James Monroe made extensive use of the writing talents of John Quincy Adams, another future president who earned the nickname “Old Man Eloquent” in his post-presidential terms in the House of Representatives. Jefferson himself was a great writer but a mediocre speaker, and so some of his “speeches” were published but never delivered live. Some of the more forgettable presidents had equally forgettable helpers in preparing their sparse remarks. Woodrow Wilson, meanwhile, was an academic by training and profession. In preparing his major addresses, he mobilized literally hundreds of scholars and experts in an effort to gather enormous volumes of pertinent information and absorbed and distilled that in preparing his remarks. But for all the research assistance Wilson had, he was a fine writer and speaker who largely crafted the final versions of most of his important speeches personally. Teddy Roosevelt was a prolific writer who wrote most of his own speeches, while his distant cousin Franklin recruited the top talent available to produce drafts—including Pulitzer Prize winners Archibald MacLeish and Robert Sherwood—but left his own unmistakable imprint on a host of great speeches.

Starting with FDR, the demands for presidential remarks dramatically escalated, and professional speechwriters bearing that job title began to appear. In fact, Warren G. Harding employed the first such writer, a former reporter named Judson Welliver, but managed to mangle that man’s words to the point where Harding speeches became the butt of jokes. After FDR, the ranks of speechwriters at the White House swelled with each new administration, but they have been held in ever-diminishing esteem. As I note on several occasions in my book, ever since the Ford Administration the habit of the White House is to circulate speech drafts to dozens and dozens of minions throughout government. Speeches are produced and revised on an assembly-line basis. One or, more likely, a group of speechwriters produces a draft, and then it is trampled to death in the editing process. The first draft will invariably come back utterly unrecognizable. If a memorable phrase survives, it’s entirely by accident. The most notable case in point is Reagan’s immortal “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” phrase, about which I write. It very nearly didn’t make the speech at all, and even then was buried in a mass of diplomatic jargon. Fortunately, it was bright enough to shine through.

Which president do you think was the best speaker or speechwriter, and what favorite speeches stand out in your mind?

The best speakers, in my mind, were FDR and John F. Kennedy. Both had remarkable speechwriters to produce memorable drafts—Kennedy’s symbiotic relationship with the late, great Ted Sorensen is well known—but both had enormously impressive senses of occasion and linguistic capabilities, and both improved their speeches in performance. Of course, Ronald Reagan’s delivery was impeccable every time out, but after he lost the inimitable Peggy Noonan and other top writers during his second term, his performance declined, as I note in the book.

Speechwriting is a separate skill from speaking, and 20th- and 21st-century presidents rarely if ever have sat down and drafted major addresses from beginning to end. I think that in the main Jefferson and Lincoln stand out as writers. We can’t know how they sounded—Lincoln was reputed to be a good speaker despite a high, rather thin voice, and Jefferson from all accounts delivered his words perfunctorily. For a combination of writer and speaker, though, I think I would go with Teddy Roosevelt. He wrote most of his own speeches and delivered them with great energy. Among lesser-regarded presidents, I think Calvin Coolidge deserves mention. Despite his “Silent Cal” reputation, he was self-schooled in the arts of rhetoric, and in fact, published several volumes of his own speeches before ever becoming president. I uncovered some first-rate speeches of his while doing research, but regrettably, he did not make the book because he unfortunately burned all of the preliminary drafts of his speeches, and so left no paper trail as to development.

Can you tell us a bit more about your background, and how did your own experiences with speechwriting shape this book?

I have made my living primarily as a speechwriter for more than 40 years. Like many speechwriters of my era, I started out on newspapers—as a sportswriter, at age 20. My first sports editor gave me great advice for a future speechwriter: cut every word in half, cut every sentence in half. From there, I was lucky enough to be named editorial page editor of a suburban New Jersey daily when I was 23. When I wrote editorials, I was writing to persuade, and that’s great training for a speechwriter, as well. With a young family, I continued to follow the money from newspapers to magazines and began to specialize in energy. Then came the energy crises of the 1970s and I was hired as a speechwriter for the head of the hastily formed federal energy apparatus—the “Energy Czar.” I had never written a speech, as such, but they assumed that since I was a writer, I could—and so did I. I survived that very chaotic situation, and when the dust cleared and the gas pumps started working again, I found myself chief speechwriter of the newly formed U.S. Department of Energy. Knowledgeable energy writers were in short supply at the time, and during the energy crises, I wound up detailed to the White House during both the Ford and Carter administrations. In the 1980s, when energy cooled off, so to speak, I left government to write speeches for the CEOs of some of the country’s largest energy companies before becoming freelance. I guess I’ve written somewhere over 1,000 speeches, counting all of the brief ceremonial remarks as well as the formal addresses.

Having written and edited speeches at the White House, Cabinet-level agencies and Fortune 50 corporations, I know all too well that a speech does not always turn out the way it begins. It can change 180 degrees. I have seen some speeches delivered that never should have been, with disastrous results, and some speeches killed or watered down that would have had a great positive impact. The process a speech goes through from first draft to delivery is fascinating, and large parts of that fascination are the politics and other human interactions that affect the words on the page. I have always thought that the stories behind the development of speeches—particularly at the presidential level, where history can be changed for good or ill by the words delivered—would be worth telling.

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Written Samples

10 student council speech samples.

Running for a position on the Student Council is a commendable endeavor that requires courage, planning, and a clear vision. Student Council serves as the voice of the student body, advocating for changes, planning events, and representing student interests.

A strong, compelling speech can significantly impact your campaign, resonating with peers and motivating them to vote for you. This article provides 10 distinct student council speech samples tailored for various roles and personalities.

Student Council Speech Samples

Whether you’re running for president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, or a specific committee, these speeches are designed to inspire and guide you in crafting your unique message.

Speech 1: The Visionary Leader

“building a brighter future together”.

Fellow students, today marks a significant moment in our journey together. I stand before you, not as an individual, but as a representative of the collective dreams and aspirations we all share for our school. As a candidate for your Student Council President, I am committed to making those dreams a reality.

Our school is more than just a building; it’s a vibrant community where each of us has the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed. However, like any community, we face our share of challenges. Whether it’s improving school lunches, increasing club funding, or ensuring that every student’s voice is heard, there is always work to be done.

My vision is to create a more inclusive, supportive, and dynamic school environment. This means establishing open forums where every student can voice their concerns, working closely with administration to implement sustainable changes, and building a culture of mutual respect and collaboration.

I bring to this position my experience as class representative, my passion for student involvement, and my unwavering commitment to our school’s welfare. Together, we can build a brighter future for all students. Let’s make it happen!

Speech 2: The Approachable Vice President

“uniting for a stronger community”.

Hello, fellow students! I am thrilled to stand before you as a candidate for Vice President of the Student Council. My goal is clear: to work alongside the president in creating a united, empowered student body ready to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities that come our way.

As Vice President, I will focus on enhancing communication between the council and you, the students. I plan to set up a suggestions box, hold regular meet-ups, and ensure your ideas and concerns don’t just stay heard but acted upon. I understand the importance of teamwork, and I promise to be an accessible, friendly face you can always turn to.

My dedication to our school community stems from my own experiences as an active member of several clubs and organizations. These experiences have taught me the value of listening, the importance of action, and the transformative power of community spirit. Let’s work together to make our school not just a place of learning, but a home of lasting memories and achievements!

Speech 3: The Meticulous Treasurer

“investing in our future”.

Good day, students! As a candidate for the position of Treasurer, I want to talk about an essential aspect of our student council: fiscal responsibility. The role of Treasurer is more than just handling funds; it’s about ensuring that every dollar you entrust to the council is spent wisely and benefits as many students as possible.

I come to you with a strong background in mathematics and a keen eye for detail, qualities that are crucial for managing our budget effectively. I plan to introduce transparent budget reports, seek your input on spending priorities, and negotiate for better deals on our events and supplies.

Investing in our future means more than just saving money; it means funding initiatives that build our skills, enhance our school spirit, and create lasting memories. With your trust, I promise to be a responsible steward of our resources, always seeking ways to improve our collective experience while maintaining fiscal prudence.

Speech 4: The Organized Secretary

“keeping us connected”.

Hello, everyone! As your prospective Student Council Secretary, I understand the significance of organization and clear communication in making our council effective. My mission is to keep us connected and informed, ensuring that every meeting, every event, and every decision is recorded and communicated to you promptly and clearly.

My approach involves not just meticulous note-taking and organizing but also harnessing technology to streamline our communication. This means regular updates through our school’s website and social media, creating a digital archive of minutes and decisions, and ensuring you’re always in the loop.

By keeping our council’s work transparent and accessible, I aim to build trust and encourage greater participation from all of you. Let’s work together to create a well-informed student body capable of making a difference!

Speech 5: The Dedicated Committee Member

“every voice matters”.

Hi, everyone! Running for a specific committee might seem like a small role, but it’s roles like these that make our student council function effectively. As a candidate for the [Insert Committee Name] committee, I am passionate about [Insert Committee Focus, e.g., environmental issues, school spirit, academic improvement].

My commitment is to bring fresh ideas, boundless energy, and a listening ear to this position. I want to ensure that every student who shares a passion for [Committee Focus] has a platform to express their ideas and see them come to life. Whether it’s organizing events, leading campaigns, or working on improvements, I am ready to dedicate my time and effort to make a real impact.

Your vote means not just support for me but an investment in the area we’re passionate about. Let’s join hands and make [Insert School Name] a beacon of [Committee Focus] excellence!

Speech 6: The Inspirational President

“leading with heart and vision”.

Dear students, as I stand before you, aspiring to be your next Student Council President, I am filled with a sense of purpose and determination. This school is not just an institution but a vibrant community where each of us has the potential to thrive and contribute. As your president, I aim to lead not just with decisions, but with vision, empathy, and unwavering dedication.

My vision for us is a school where every student feels valued and empowered. A place where we tackle challenges head-on, celebrate our diversity, and work collectively towards innovative solutions. I plan to initiate regular student-led forums, champion inclusive policies, and ensure that our activities and decisions reflect the rich tapestry of our student body.

My commitment to you is rooted in a deep belief in teamwork, respect, and perseverance. I have learned through various leadership roles that the key to effective leadership is listening, adapting, and inspiring. Together, we can elevate our school to new heights, create a nurturing environment, and build a legacy of positivity and progress.

Speech 7: The Dynamic Vice President

“collaboration and action”.

Greetings, fellow students! As candidates for Vice President of the Student Council, I am excited about the prospect of working closely with the president to amplify your voices and bring your ideas to fruition. I understand that this role is pivotal in facilitating smooth operations and fostering a spirit of unity and collaboration among us.

My focus will be on bridging the gap between students and the council, ensuring that we are not just a body making decisions but a dynamic team working in sync with the student community. I plan to introduce innovative collaboration tools and platforms where every suggestion is considered, and every voice is heard.

With my experience in organizing school events and managing teams, I bring a set of skills that are crucial for the effective execution of our shared goals. I promise to be proactive, resourceful, and most importantly, accessible to each one of you. Let’s work together to make our school a hub of vibrant student activity and shared success.

Speech 8: The Strategic Treasurer

“fiscal responsibility, our collective commitment”.

Hello to all! As your candidate for Treasurer, I am aware of the significant responsibility that comes with managing our student council’s finances. It’s not just about keeping books; it’s about strategic planning, transparency, and making every penny count towards improving our school life.

I bring to this position my experience with budgeting and finance, coupled with a deep commitment to serve each one of you. My plan includes introducing a participatory budgeting process where you get to have a say in our financial priorities, regular financial updates to keep everyone informed, and innovative fundraising ideas to boost our resources.

Investing in our collective future means making smart, ethical, and impactful financial decisions. With a keen eye on our goals and a strict adherence to transparency, I will ensure that our council’s financial health is robust and that our resources are aligned with our shared vision.

Speech 9: The Efficient Secretary

“the backbone of our council”.

Dear students, as a hopeful Secretary for our Student Council, I recognize the immense responsibility of being the link between you and the council’s activities. This role is more than just taking minutes; it’s about ensuring that every decision, every event, and every initiative is documented, communicated, and archived effectively.

My vision is to make our council’s workings as transparent and accessible as possible. This means not only meticulous record-keeping but also innovative communication strategies to keep everyone informed and engaged. I plan to utilize digital platforms to disseminate information, organize feedback sessions, and ensure that our council is always accountable to you.

With a commitment to organization and a passion for communication, I am ready to be the reliable backbone of our council, ensuring that as we move forward, every step is recorded, every voice is heard, and every achievement is shared.

Speech 10: The Passionate Committee Leader

“spearheading change, one initiative at a time”.

Greetings, peers! As a candidate for the [Insert Committee Name, e.g., Environmental Committee] leader, I am here not just to lead a committee but to ignite a movement. Whether it’s enhancing our school’s green initiatives, boosting academic resources, or strengthening our sports programs, each committee plays a crucial role in our student council’s mission.

I am passionate about [Committee Focus] and have spent my time at school actively involved in related projects and initiatives. As a leader, I plan to bring this passion to the forefront, driving innovative programs, rallying student support, and ensuring that our activities have a lasting impact.

Your support means empowering a dedicated leader focused on making tangible changes in our school. Together, we can champion causes close to our hearts, bring about meaningful change, and leave a legacy that future students will be proud of.

In crafting your speech, remember the importance of authenticity, clarity, and enthusiasm. Your fellow students are looking for leaders who not only promise but also inspire and enact real change. Use these samples as inspiration, but ensure your personal story and vision shine through. Good luck!

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How speechwriters delve into a president’s mind: Lots of listening, studying and becoming a mirror

FILE - President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington. It’s an annual process that former presidential speechwriters say take months. Speechwriters have the uneviable task of taking dozens of ideas and stitching into a cohesive narrative of a president’s vision for the year. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Speechwriting, in one sense, is essentially being someone else’s mirror.

“You can try to find the right words,” said Dan Cluchey, a former speechwriter for President Joe Biden . “But ultimately, your job is to ensure that when the speech is done, that it has a reflection of the speaker.”

That concept is infinitely magnified in the role of the presidential speechwriter. Over the course of U.S. history, those aides have absorbed the personalities, the quirks, the speech cadences of the most powerful leader on the globe, capturing his thoughts for all manner of public remarks, from the mundane to the historic and most consequential.

There are few times in a presidency that the art — and the rigorous, often painful process — of speechwriting is more on display than during a State of the Union , when the vast array of a president’s policy aspirations and political messages come together in one, hour-plus carefully choreographed address at the Capitol. Biden will deliver the annual address on Thursday .

It’s a process that former White House speechwriters say take months, with untold lobbying and input from various federal agencies and others outside the president’s inner circle who are all working to ensure their favored proposals merit a mention. Speechwriters have the unenviable task of taking dozens of ideas and stitching them into a cohesive narrative of a president’s vision for the year.

It’s less elegant prose, more laundry list of policy ideas.

Amid all those formalities and constraints of a State of the Union address, there is also how a president executes the speech.

Biden’s biggest political liability remains his age (81) and voters’ questions about whether he is still up to the job (his doctor this past week declared him fit to serve ). His every word is watched by Republican operatives eager to capture any misspeak to plant doubt about Biden’s fitness among the public.

“This year, of course, is an election year. It also comes as there’s much more chatter about his age,” said Michael Waldman, who served as a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. “People are really going to be scrutinizing him for how he delivers the speech, as much as what he says.”

Biden will remain at Camp David through Tuesday and is expected to spend much of that time preparing for the State of the Union. Bruce Reed, the White House deputy chief of staff, accompanied Biden to the presidential retreat outside Washington on Friday evening.

The White House has said lowering costs, shoring up democracy and protecting women’s reproductive care will be among the topics that Biden will address on Thursday night.

Biden likely won’t top the list of the most talented presidential orators. He has thrived the most during small chance encounters with Americans, where interactions can be more off the cuff and intimate.

The plain-spoken Biden is known to hate Washington jargon and the alphabet soup of government acronyms, and he has challenged aides, when writing his remarks, to cut through the clutter and to get to the point with speed. Cluchey, who worked for Biden from 2018 to 2022, said the president was very engaged in the speech drafting process, all the way down to individual lines and words.

Biden can also come across as stiff at times when standing and reading from a teleprompter, but immediately loosens up and appears more comfortable when he switches to a hand-held microphone mid-remark. Biden has also learned to navigate a childhood stutter that he says helped him develop empathy for others facing similar challenges.

To become engrossed in another person’s voice, past presidential speechwriters list things that are critical. One is just doing a lot of listening to the principal, to get a sense of his rhythms and how he uses language.

Lots of direct conversation with the president is key, to try and get inside the commander in chief’s thinking and how that leader frames arguments and make their case.

“This is not an act of impression, where you’re simply just trying to get the accent down,” said Jeff Shesol, another former Clinton speechwriter. “What you really are learning to do and need to learn to do -– this is true of speechwriters in any role, but particularly for a president –- is to understand not just how he sounds, but how he thinks.”

Shesol added: “You’re absorbing not just the rhythms and cadences of speech, but you’re absorbing a worldview.”

Then there is always the matter of the speech-giver going rogue.

Biden is often candid, and White House aides are sometimes left to clean up and clarify what he said in unvarnished moments. But other times when he deviates from the script, it ends up being an improvement on what his aides had scripted.

Take last year’s State of the Union . Biden had launched into an attack prepared in advance against some Republicans who were insisting on requiring renewal votes on popular programs such as Medicare and Social Security, which would effectively threaten their fate every five years.

That prompted heckling from Republicans and shouts of “Liar!” from the audience.

Biden immediately pivoted, egging on the Republicans to contact his office for a copy of the proposal and joking that he was enjoying their “conversion.”

“Folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the — off the books now, right? They’re not to be touched?” Biden continued. The crowd of lawmakers applauded. “All right. All right. We got unanimity!”

Speechwriters do try and prepare for such moments, particularly if a president is known to speak extemporaneously.

Shesol recalled that Clinton’s speechwriters would draft remarks that were relatively spare, to account for him veering off on his own. The writers would write a clear structure into the speech that would allow Clinton to easily return to his prepared remarks once his riff was over.

“Clinton used to liken it to playing a jazz solo and then he’s going back to the score,” Waldman added.

Cluchey, when asked for his reaction when his former boss would go off-script, described it as a “ballet with several movements of, you know, panic, to ‘Wait a minute, this is actually very good,’ and then ‘Oh man, he really nailed it.’”

Biden is “at his best when he’s most authentically, most loosely, just speaking the plain truth,” Cluchey said. “The speechwriting process even at its best has strictures around it.”

Lesson Plan

Jan. 15, 2021, 1:30 p.m.

Write your own presidential inauguration speech

President Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, near the end of the Civil War. Lincoln invited Black Americans to participate in the 1865 inaugural parade for the first time, two years after he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. via Library of Congress

Estimated time, grade level.

• Students will examine the elements of the presidential inauguration ceremony and understand the importance of the ceremony as a political norm and tradition.
• Students will research historic inaugural addresses and gain perspectives from presidential historians about the importance of the inaugural address and ceremony.
• Students will synthesize information about inaugural ceremonies and historical perspective and address the importance of national unity.
• What is the importance of the presidential inauguration ceremony towards the peaceful transition of power?
• Why is it important for elected members of the federal government and former presidents to attend the Presidential Inauguration?
• What are 2-3 themes (such as "national unity," a theme of Biden's address) that you would want to address if you were being sworn in as president of the United States?
• What are 2-3 inspirational quotes that you would want to include in an inaugural address if you were being sworn in as president of the United States?
• Take a swing at presidential speech writing. Write between 100-500 words of an inaugural address using themes and inspirational quotes that you chose. Good luck!
• Optional : Send your speech to PBS NewsHour EXTRA! We would love to read your speech and share it with others over social media. You can email it to us directly or have your teacher tag @NewsHourEXTRA and use the hashtag #PBSInaugurationSpeech .

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Primary Source Set Presidential Speeches

The resources in this primary source set are intended for classroom use. If your use will be beyond a single classroom, please review the copyright and fair use guidelines.

Teacher’s Guide

To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides: Analysis Tool and Guides

Each presidential speech is unique. By working with primary sources from the online collections of the Library of Congress, students can explore the people and events that shaped these speeches. They can also identify the components of an effective speech and discover persuasive strategies that will help make their own speeches presidential.

Teaching Ideas

• Present your students with still or moving images from the Library’s online collections of presidents delivering speeches. What do your students notice about the presidents as they speak? What, if any, gestures are they making? If there’s an audience, how does the president interact with them? Why do you think the presidents made these choices?
• Ask your students to watch or listen to recordings of presidential speeches. How do they compare to more recent presidential speeches?
• Ask your students to select a few presidential speeches and identify elements that these speeches have in common. What issues do the speeches address? What was the occasion and audience for each speech? How might occasion and audience have affected the president’s choice of topic and the way in which the president addressed the topic?

Additional Resources

U.S. Presidential Inaugurations

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech writing format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver an effective speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example, if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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The Presidency / Presidential Speeches

Famous presidential speeches.

Use the "Filter" button to select a particular president and find the speech you want

How to Write a Letter to the President (With Example)

So you’ve decided you want to write a letter to the President? Then you must have a good reason for doing so.  In which case, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing this kind of letter - from what to write to how to format it and where to send it.

Basics of Writing a Letter to the President

Let's start with the basics. If you haven't already, you need to consider your reasons for writing to the President. What do you intend on saying? What is the outcome you hope to get from writing this letter? Are you certain the President is the most appropriate recipient for this letter? We'll go over all this in the first section.

Let's dig in.

The Most Common Reasons to Write a Letter to the President 

There are many reasons why one might write a letter to the President; as such it would be impossible to list them all. However, we can certainly enumerate the most common ones. Here goes.

Congratulate them on their recent win

You might want to congratulate the President on their recent win, which is a perfectly good reason to want to write a letter to the President, and you certainly won't be alone in doing so.

• Voice a concern: You might want to write to the President in order to voice a concern about a pressing issue or to make suggestions around topics you think they should focus on.
• Ask for an autograph: This type of letter is a common request from children and young people and usually tends to get a lot of attention from a President as it's the type of letter they take special care to respond to.
• Seek a pardon: Prisoners who wish to have their sentence reduced or terminated early can write a letter to the President for their consideration. Usually, this type of letter would come from offenders who have shown good behavior and can show clear efforts towards rehabilitation.
• School project: Students can sometimes be asked to write a letter to the President as part of a school project. This is a great exercise in practicing your democratic duties. This is an opportunity to share your opinions with the President about how you think they can best help young people.
• Advocate for change: If you represent a particular interest where action is needed (say, for example, climate change), you might write a letter to the President to ask them to pay attention to this area.

Can it be sent to someone else?

Sometimes you might think that the President is the best recipient of your letter when in fact, this is not necessarily the case. Sure, taking drastic action such as writing to the country's most powerful person can often feel like the best course of action to get things moving, however, considering how many letters the President receives, and the sheer amount of responsibilities they have, you may save valuable time and effort by writing directly to the person in charge of your particular request. 

It can be helpful to think of other possible recipients to see if another one might be better suited. Read on for a list of other potential recipients, and what they can help with:

The editor of your local news outlet

Certain issues are best spoken about on the news, so they attract attention from the relevant person.

Your school board or district

Say, for example, you want to get guns prohibited in schools, before you write to the President, you might want to try directly addressing your school's board and asking them to implement such a rule. Send them research-based evidence of the benefits of banning firearms in school.

Your representative congressional office

If your issue is concerning a specific policy, consider writing directly to your representative congressional office. Mention which bill or specific area your concern is around, and the action you suggest taking.

Identified a particular problem in your city? This might be an issue better suited to your city or town's mayor. Ask yourself whether the rest of the country is affected by this problem. If not, then the mayor is your guy (or gal).

Alternative ways to contact the President 

Before you begin writing your email to the President, it can be helpful to know that there are alternative ways to contact the President. These might be preferable to you, depending on the reason for you contacting them.

Why not email the President? An email is a great way to keep legislators honest about campaign promises, thereby encouraging them to do what they said they would do. Plus, it leaves an electronic record that cannot be deleted, in case that is something you need.

You could elect to place a phone call to the White Office instead of writing to them. You should know that the President themself will not be answering the phone however; this is manned by professional White House operators. If you do want to call, use one of the following phone numbers:

Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414

You could choose to send a gift to the President. Note, however, that the White House is unable to accept any monetary gifts. They also ask that you consider making a donation to a charity instead of sending them a gift. If you really must, though, you're welcome to send them a gift.

You could also use a combination of two methods - i.e. write an email  and a letter. Or a letter, and a follow-up email a few months later.

Best Practices for Content

Now, moving on to the actual writing of your letter. There are certain practices you'll want to follow to ensure that your letter is read, taken seriously, and if you're lucky, answered. Read on to find out what those are.

Format Your Letter to the President 

The White House asks that you take the following precautions when writing your letter:

• Use an 8 1/2 by 11-inch sheet of paper
• Include your return address on the letter and the envelope
• Ensure your letter is neat if hand-written

There are a few that we'd like to add.

How to start your letter

The first thing you need to do is address your letter correctly, and appropriately. We suggest "Dear President [last name]" or "Dear [Mr./Mrs.] President".

Use formal language

If there ever was a time to make your writing formal, this is it. Writing your letter to the President in a formal manner will ensure you come across as respectful, but also that you'll be taken seriously. If you want your letter to eventually reach the President, and/or have an impact, using formal language will get you well on your way.

Write the correct address on the envelope

Addressing the letter to the correct address is pretty crucial. Here's what to write on the envelope:

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500

Use a clear structure

You'll want to follow a structure when writing your letter to the President so that you get your point across efficiently. You should include a clear introduction that explains the intentions of the letter; the main body that goes into detail about the request or concerns; and a conclusion that summarizes the desired actions you would like to see taken.

Don't go overboard

Be purposeful about how long your letter is. It doesn't need to be a specific length, but you'll want to keep the reader engaged as well as ensure you're not going off-topic. If you write your letter with these elements in mind, it naturally shouldn't exceed three or four pages.

Be Strategic

The tone of your letter will depend on the message you're trying to get across. If you're looking for a pardon, the overwhelming tone will likely be remorseful. If your letter has the purpose of asking for change, you'll want to use convincing arguments and use a confident tone of voice.  If you're complaining, your tone might be serious and matter-of-fact.

No matter what, the tone of your letter must remain gracious, even if you're writing to express your dissatisfaction. Diplomacy is key here, so make sure you're using respectful language.

Using respect and professionalism will help your letter have an impact. After all, you have a specific outcome in mind for your letter, right? You're hoping to get something out of it. The best way to make this happen is to be strategic around your choice of language and tone of voice.

Another important consideration is  when  to send your letter. If sending a letter of congratulations, we recommend sending this soon after the President takes office, as there is a significant delay in letters being read due to the screening process that is undertaken - for security purposes - before any letter is given to the President.

If it's a request for a pardon, it might be useful to know that pardons tend to be given towards the end of their time in office, so you'll do well addressing this letter to them, say, at the beginning of their final year.

If you're lobbying for change about a specific issue, then writing at a time when a scandal has recently broken out in another area might not be the best time, since that will be the current focus at the White House.

Steps to Take When Writing Your Letter to the President

To make your letter to the President a success, we recommend you follow a specific writing process. Most people only write a letter to the President once in a lifetime, so you'll want to get it right. We'll outline below our suggested process, but this isn't the only way, and you might want to tweak it slightly according to your preference.

Start by brainstorming. Brainstorming what? Everything! Your reasons for writing to the President, what you hope to get from the letter, the best tone of voice to use, what you want to include, and so on. In other words, everything we've presented in this article so far presents great brainstorming material.

It's a good idea to create a checklist during this process, adding ideas to it as you go. This will ensure you don't forget anything during the first draft process, and will also be useful during the editing process.

First draft

Write the first draft of your letter. The secret to first drafts is to write without holding back. In fact, in the writer's world, it's often said that you should write a "sh##ty first draft". This concept gives you the freedom to write without worrying about making it good, which serves to unleash our creativity which is invaluable when it comes to writing good content. You'll find you go places you didn't even know you would.

This is where you polish, edit, shift, replace words and move things around. The editing process is where you refine your letter, basically, and get it ready for sending. It's your opportunity to make sure you've included everything you wanted to include. Use the checklist you created during the brainstorming part of the process. Did you omit anything? If so, is there a reason you did? 

Don't sweat it if it's the case. Sometimes, as we're writing, we realize certain details aren't as important as we thought they were, or perhaps they need reframing.

Who Will Read It?

Your letter will be addressed to the President, but it might not be the President themselves who read it. This is worth bearing in mind.

Firstly, anything entering the White House must undergo rigorous security checks, as anyone might expect. Therefore, you should expect a considerable delay in anyone reading your letter at all. The larger your letter, the more security it will need to undergo. This is useful to know if you're sending a gift.

Secondly, your letter will initially be read by staff members of the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. The staff body is composed of paid full-time members, as well as interns and volunteers. The good news is that such a large office means they can reply to many letters. Here, "many" is subjective, since they received thousands of letters every day, so they couldn't possibly respond to more than a small fraction of those.

So how can you know whether the President themselves will read your letter? It's difficult to say. Obama during his presidency asked to be presented with a representative sample of ten letters per day. This will vary depending on who's currently in office. Rumor has it President Biden reads letters from citizens in the evening before bed.

Example Letters to the Office of the President (U.S.A)

Now that we've covered essential ground to assist you in writing your letter to the president, we thought it might be helpful for you to see an example. Interested? Read on. Following is an example of a letter to the president advocating for change.

Dear President [Last name] I am writing to bring a particular area of concern to your attention. A growing concern of the public is [insert area of concern you want to bring the President's awareness to]. The reason this issue is pressing is [explain reasons why the President should take this seriously - include mention of how widespread it is and how it is impacting society]. Please consider lending your support to this cause by [specify exactly what kind of action or support you are requesting]. Your support could have an incredibly beneficial impact, such as [insert expected impact of the action requested]. [Add additional key points as relevant; perhaps some research-based evidence to support your claim]. Thank you for the attention you will be giving this important [cause/issue]. I do not doubt that together we can counter the negative impact of [insert issue at hand], as your support in this endeavor will greatly help advance our cause and bring about long-lasting solutions. If you need to reach me, you’ll find my return address at the top of this letter, or on the back of the envelope. Meanwhile, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and for your consideration. I wish you all the best in your presidency of the United States of America. Respectfully, [Your Name]

You may of course tweak the above example to serve your purposes. If you are writing a different type of letter, you might want to include certain additional details or remove some of the points the above example makes. We're confident that you know best what needs to be included or not, and the example given is to be used more as a guideline.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has helped you feel more confident about writing your letter to the President - not only in knowing what to write and how to structure it, but also how to organize a writing process that helps you get all your thoughts on paper, and make a strong point, coming across confidently.

So whichever type of letter you have decided to send, we're sure you're going to do just great.

Learn More:

• How to Write a Postcard (Tips and Examples)
• How to Write Like Ernest Hemingway
• How to Write a Follow-Up Email After an Interview
• How to Write a Formal Email
• How to Write Height Correctly - Writing Feet and Inches
• How Long Does It Take to Write 1000 Words
• How to Write Comedy: Tips and Examples to Make People Laugh
• How to Write an Inequality: From Number Lines or Word Problems
• How to Write a Monologue: Tips and Examples
• How to Write a 2-Week Notice Email
• How to Write an Out-of-Office (OOO) Email
• How to Write a Professional ‘Thank You’ Email
• How to End an Email (Sign Off Examples)
• How to Write a Movie Title in an Essay or Article
• ‘Fiancé' vs 'Fiancée': What's the Difference?

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How to Write a High School President Speech

Last Updated: October 16, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,018,999 times.

Campaigning for school president is an exciting opportunity to build your leadership skills and bring change to your school. If you want to win the presidency, you’ll need to give a persuasive campaign speech to get people to vote for you. To make your speech effective, plan out what you want to say before you start writing. Then, you can structure your speech to keep it clear and concise. Finally, use a tone that fits your audience so your speech will be engaging.

Sample Speeches

Planning Your Speech

• For example, let’s say your school has rules in place that require students to get approval before they can hang posters on the school walls, even if the posters are related to school activities. If you know other students are constantly complaining about this rule, you might campaign on changing it.
• As another example, your school may have an ineffective process for lining up at lunchtime, which causes students to spend most of their lunch period purchasing food. To address this issue, you might suggest a new way of lining up or an alternative process for handing out food.
• For another option, let's say your school has tried to do programs to help students, such as anti-bullying programs or extended library hours, but limited funding made the programs ineffective. You might run on a platform of doing fundraising activities and promoting volunteerism to help support these valuable programs.

Tip: Make sure the issues you focus on are things you can actually change. For instance, getting better pizza in the cafeteria might be an issue that people care about, but it might be impossible for you to actually achieve.

• Student government positions you’ve held
• Clubs or teams you've participated in
• School events you've attended
• School events you've helped plan
• Volunteer positions you've taken

• For example, you might include prior work with your school’s student government or a leadership role you held in a club.
• Similarly, you could include the time you planned set designs for a community theater production or your stint as a summer camp counselor.

• For example, you might use words like "first," "second," "next," "then," "additionally," "similarly," "alternatively," and "furthermore."
• Repetitive phrasing can serve as a useful signpost during the speech. You might, for instance, say “The first time we came together to change things for the better” before describing an accomplishment, then introduce the second with “The second time we came together….”

• For example, make sure your speech doesn't go over the time limit. Time your speech to make sure it's about 3-7 minutes long, depending on what your school allows.
• Whenever possible, give yourself enough time to write several drafts of a speech. Each time you revise a draft, look for ways to trim the language, phrasing, and focus down to the essentials.

Structuring Your Speech

• Say, “Hello, everyone. My name is Jacob Easton. I’m a junior, and I want to be class president because we need a fresh vision for making Acme High a more welcoming and inclusive school.” In this example, your “why” statement starts a theme of inclusivity.

• For instance, if you’re using the “inclusivity” theme, you might pledge to start an anti-bullying program and a peer mentoring club.
• You might say, "Together, we can make our school a better place for all students. If elected, I will work with all of you to create an anti-bullying club so that no student is afraid to come to school. Additionally, we will form a peer mentoring club to encourage students to guide others and act as a support system."

• If you’ve held other leadership positions, identify them and mention for each how you achieved something related to your overarching theme.
• If you haven’t held official leadership positions, identify life experiences in which you had to be both decisive and collaborative.
• You might say, “As president of the debate club, I’ve expanded club membership, worked with local lawyers to build a mentorship program, and acquired donations from local office supply stores so students have the materials they need for tournaments. If you elect me to be your president, I’ll bring the same type of leadership to the student government.”

• For instance: “While our current class leadership has done good work in reviving school spirit, I will dedicate myself to making sure all students feel the embrace of that spirit and have opportunities to shape it.”

• Say, “Together, we can make our school inclusive for all. Thank you for your time this afternoon. I’m Jacob Easton, and I want your vote.”
• You might also decide to go with a catchy slogan, like, “Next Tuesday, ‘Get Awake and Vote for Jake!’”

Using the Right Tone

• You can smile or keep your facial expression neutral.
• Practice your body language in front of a mirror before you give your speech.

• For instance, you might say, “We all want to support our classmates with motivational posters. However, current rules make it hard to have school spirit. Let's change that."
• Read the speech out loud as your write it. This will help ensure that each sentence fits the way you speak. If the sentence doesn’t sound right or feel natural coming from your mouth, revise it.
• Because you’re focused on clarity and brevity, you might use sentence fragments or repeat words or phrases in ways you wouldn’t normally if you were writing an essay.

• To make your speech more formal, use grammatically correct sentences and stronger words, while avoiding casual phrasing. For example, don't use contractions or sentence fragments, which create a more conversational tone. Instead, speak in full sentences.
• To help you find a more serious tone, imagine that you're giving your speech to your teachers rather than your classmates.
• If you plan to give a formal speech, you might watch videos of famous speeches on YouTube to get an idea of what people expect.

• When choosing the right jokes and stories for your speech, steer clear of anything that might be perceived as offensive.
• Always keep your audience in mind. An "inside joke" that your friends understand might not be funny to the student body as a whole.
• If possible, connect the humor to the overall theme of your speech. For instance, let’s say your speech is about changing the rules for hanging posters on school walls. You might tell a humorous story about the time your school hung up “Go team” posters for a football game that had already happened two weeks prior because it took so long for the posters to get approved.

• For example, you’d say, “If we work together, we make it easier to get through the lunch line so we all have more time to eat,” rather than, “If I’m elected, I’ll do everything in my power to fix the lunch lines so students have more time to eat.”

Tip: In a campaign speech, write about what “we” can accomplish “together,” not about what “I” will do.

Expert Q&A

• Use your other campaign materials as supports for the ideas you'll express in your speech. For example, you may have campaign signs, buttons, and flyers to promote your candidacy. Incorporate the same issues you talk about in your speech onto your campaign materials. Similarly, if you use a slogan on your signs, say that slogan during your speech. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Dress appropriately on the day that you give your speech. Depending on the culture at your school, this might mean a nice casual outfit, like a dress or pants with a collared shirt or blouse, or a formal outfit, such as a suit, slacks, or a skirt. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/writing-a-school-election-speech.html
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffschmitt/2013/07/16/10-keys-to-writing-a-speech/?sh=72f108694fb7
• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/writing-a-school-election-speech.html
• ↑ https://www.comm.pitt.edu/structuring-speech
• ↑ https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-elected-class-president
• ↑ http://passport.vec.vic.gov.au/vote/write-up-an-election-speech/
• ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.
• ↑ https://sps.columbia.edu/news/five-ways-improve-your-body-language-during-speech
• ↑ https://finley-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/f/finley-h/localcontent/how_to_write_a_speech.pdf
• ↑ https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/politics-pronouns

About This Article

To write a high school president speech, choose a few important, clear points to emphasize. Avoid long, wordy sentences and a complicated outline. Instead, keep the structure and content of your speech simple so your audience can easily follow along with what you’re saying. As you write, read your speech out loud to ensure that it sounds natural and conversational. Also, use words like “we” and “us” and reference shared experiences to build rapport with your audience. For tips on writing a campaign speech, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Letter to the President AND Have an Impact

Writing a letter to the president can be an effective way for advocates to have their voices heard, influence policy decisions, and move public opinion if done with some planning and intentionality. The vast majority of letters to the President go largely unheeded because of the sheer volume of letters received and the lack of planning and follow through on the part of the authors. This post lays out step-by-step how to send a letter to the President and how to have the biggest impact possible. 

To send a letter to the president of the United States, authors may use this electronic contact form on the White House website or send a paper copy of the letter to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20500.* 

Despite the ease of communication today, authors should use this process sparingly and carefully time their efforts to maximize impact. Advocates should also be prepared to do outreach to and coordinate with supporters, allies, the media, and other public officials before sending the letter. Over several years, I have led many civil society efforts in writing to the president and, while many factors are outside of the control of organizers, there is more or less a formula for maximizing impact. 

Advocates, of course, never cease to be creative and this “formula” is a series of best practices I have accumulated in my work; it’s not meant to be a rigid process nor does it guarantee any type of success. 

*Note that some websites still direct readers to the old White House email addresses ([email protected]; [email protected], [email protected]); however these email addresses have not been active since the Obama years when much of the administration transitioned to using contact forms. Always check the White House website for the most up-to-date contact method. 

Getting Your Message in front of the President Best Practices for Content & Timing Sample Letter to the President Garnering Additional Support and Signatories Generating Media Buzz & Publicizing the Letter Additional Actions to Reinforce the Impact of Your Letter

Getting Your Message in front of the President

Getting a message in front of the president is understandably a difficult task and, in order to be effective, the logistics of sending a letter should be carefully thought through. Just using the White House contact form is sufficient, but there are plenty of things that advocates can do to help give their message the best chance of being heard. 

To begin, a case can be made for sending the letter through both the contact form and through the regular snail mail. This gives your letter two chances of being “logged” by White House staff. Trust that the letter will be read by someone, but when the letter is received it will likely be entered into a database and categorized according to the issue by a White House staffer (potentially an intern). 

What happens from the point of the letter being logged likely varies greatly by the administration, staff, and the letter’s message and quality. There is no guarantee that the message will ever reach the president, but advocates can improve their chances by sending the letter to other officials in the administration as well as their members of Congress (more on that below). 

Identifying other relevant officials and sending the letter to their office provides advocates with more chances of the message being logged. For example, if an advocate were writing a letter concerning farming practices, they could also send the letter to the Department of Agriculture. Often, specific bureaus, offices, and personnel can all be identified within relevant Departments, offering more entry points for advocates to send their message. Advocates should seek to find as many relevant contacts as possible.

Truthfully, the best way to identify and contact officials in the administration is through paid-for services such as Leadership Connect or Bloomberg Government. These types of web services offer up-to-date directories of government officials, which can be invaluable – especially when trying to contact senior officials. However, these services can be pricey, and sending letters through publicly available contact information can work if these tools aren’t available.

Best Practices for Content & Timing

Letters to any public official and especially the president should always be concise. Whoever receives the letter is likely a very busy person. So, authors should boil the message down to as few words as possible to increase the chances the message will be read and understood. Additionally, the tone of the letter should always be respectful even when passions are high; using diplomatic language does not betray an advocate’s position, but offers the best chances at advancing civil discourse. 

The first paragraph should provide a clear and concise introduction of the authors and the reason for writing. For example, “Dear President [Last Name], As a network of environmental, faith-based, human rights, and other civil society organizations, we write to urge you to…” If you’re writing as an individual or group of individuals, state your connection to the issue and any relevant expertise.

The following paragraph or paragraphs should state the “ask” (or what the author would like the president to do). Asks can be general such as “stop the war” or very specific such as “repeal National Security Directive X section (Y) paragraph Z…” If there are several asks, try to boil them down and list them in a bullet point format. 

After the ask is clearly stated, the following paragraphs should be the best arguments for why the president should listen to the authors. This should be the best support material advocates have for their case. Authors might want to cite research, quote experts or other public officials, provide powerful anecdotes, or state their most convincing talking points. Don’t be afraid to use footnotes! 

A good practice is to wrap up with a summary paragraph and finish with a congenial conclusion thanking the president for their consideration. The letter should be no more than around 3 pages. Authors can provide supporting material such as a report by attaching the documents and referencing the attachments in the body of the letter.

Authors should also consider the timing of sending the letter. Generally speaking, the beginning of a new administration (or new term with an incumbent administration) is one of the best times for a message to be heard. Presidents and their staff conduct policy reviews when they enter office and it can be a perfect time to provide input (especially because many career staffers are looking for ideas to present to their new bosses). Other good times to send a letter include when the issue is in the news, when Congress takes a relevant action, ahead of a major relevant event, after a sudden relevant incident, or when coordinated with other high-profile advocacy initiatives.

Sample Letters to the President

Below is a free downloadable example of a letter to the president. The example uses a fictional national reading program for illustrative purposes.

Garnering Support and Getting Additional Signatories

Letters to the president are always more powerful when sent by a group of people and/or organizations. To get allies on board it’s best to work with a small group first to help draft the letter. Writing the letter by consensus helps ensure more interests are represented and should give the letter a sharper message. 

Once the draft is agreed upon, the small group of authors should decide on how a few key factors on how to handle endorsements. Questions to consider include:

• If organizers collect both, it’s important to have a good organization to individual ratio. Having more individuals than organizations is usually ideal (a 2:1 ratio is a good rule of thumb). Though, high-profile figures such as former government officials or celebrities may be an exception.
• Some organizations operate based on satellite offices; these offices sometimes have the authority to sign on their office but not the organization as a whole. For example, a group may sign as ‘Advocacy Action – Pittsburgh Office.’ Organizers should agree if they will take chapter endorsements or only national/headquarter endorsements.
• Individuals and organizations that are not from the U.S. may want to join the letter; however, the president is not accountable to these groups and so their signature carries less weight. These organizations can still be added to the letter to make a point so long as they are credible, verified, and clearly indicated to be from outside the U.S. 

Once organizers have an understanding of how to handle endorsements, advocates can circulate the letter to listservs and contacts to solicit signatures. It’s most effective to indicate the original group of authors when asking for signatures to show initial support for the effort. Set and indicate a deadline to sign on and try to give it as much time as possible. 

Pro-tip: Google forms is a great way to collect signatures and build lists for future efforts. When asking for signatures, it’s good practice to collect the following information:

• Name of Individual/Organization
• Name of contact
• Email of contact
• Approximately how many supporters (defined by membership, email lists, etc.) organizational sign-ons have
• Location/Origin: U.S. based or international

Generating Media Buzz & Publicizing the Letter

A letter to the president is a good opportunity for advocates to engage the press with their message (don’t overlook local media either). Before sending the letter, the authors can draft a press release to issue on the day they send the letter. Typically, a press release contains a few quotes provided by the primary authors so journalists have something to grab for a story. If organizers have enough lead time and significant support for their letter, they can try to work with a reporter the day before the letter is sent so that the story appears first thing in the morning. 

Additional Actions to Reinforce the Impact of Your Letter

Complimenting the letter with other actions or a series of actions can increase the impact of a letter exponentially. However, organizing becomes more complicated and usually needs more lead time. If organizers have the capacity, they may want to consider complementing their letter to the president with the actions such as:

• Writing and placing op-eds before or immediately after the letter is sent.
• Demonstrations such as protests, vigils, etc.
• Asking members of Congress to send a similar letter or to speak with the administration about the issue.

Dan Jasper is the founder and primary author of Street Civics. He specializes in advocacy and international affairs.

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