State of the Union is a play by American playwrights Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay about a fictional Republican presidential candidate.

James is about 60; with him are Spike MacManus, a long-time political reporter and Grant Matthews, in his 40s, a businessman and Katherine (Kay) Thorndike, late 30s.

According to journalist-playwright Sidney Blumenthal "The play's events... allude to Wendell Willkie, the utility company head who became the surprise Republican candidate for president in 1940.

[9] Lewis Nichols, reviewing for the New York Times, wrote: "While every boy inherits the right to grow up to be President of the United States, it takes additional talent to write a good play about it.... With wonderfully funny lines and situations, the new comedy about politics also has enough sentiment to keep it from being farce.

"[10] In a later column, Nichols wrote: " 'State of the Union' is a comedy with a serious purpose...it briskly wonders why there must be horsetrading rather than honesty, why...the country's people are again losing faith in the ideals.... Certain aspects of the play suggest that the authors admired the late Wendell Willkie in his politically iconoclastic ideas, but the comedy is not a biography.