On December 12^th, 2016, members of both chambers of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Executive branch were assembled in the House of Representatives to listen and watch President Obama’s final address to the nation, the State of the Union.

In essence, the State of the Union is meant to be a report on the past year’s progress and the current situation of the nation. The State of the Union also serves as a “soapbox” to address Congress on specific legislative and policy objectives that the president may have or wish to see accomplished in the coming year.

Unfortunately, due to the fact it is an election year, expectations for congress will be low, since many will be focusing on their re-election campaigns and won’t take the risk of introducing controversial or highly speculative pieces of legislation that will benefit millions of Americans.

Despite this, President Obama’s challenge to congress to get things done and pass legislation was ever present in his address. Hopefully, Congress will be able to live up to that call by President Obama to avoid earning the reputation of a “do-nothing” or “lame duck” congress because of this already divisive election cycle.

Nevertheless, here are five key takeaways from the State of the Union.

1. “Look at how far we’ve come”

Obama took the podium and immediately began to reflect on the long-term growth of the economy since the financial crisis of 2008. During his address, he highlighted the declining unemployment rate, the growth of private sector jobs and position that “the United States is still the strongest, most durable economy in the world.” While some may argue the economy still is recovering or hasn’t recovered at all underneath Obama’s leadership, the President still offered positive increases with certain statistics.

2. President Obama call out political opponents and praises allies

It was clear that the State of the Union was a moment where President Obama was able to indirectly call out the radical rhetoric from several of the GOP candidates for president. In particular, he called out Donald Trump as “peddling fiction” about the decline of the American economy and it’s standing in the world. This was the first direct shot that the President was able to take against the bombastic GOP frontrunner. In a sense, President Obama attempted to calm American’s anxieties with domestic and global security and well being.

3. A return to optimism

The State of the Union seemed to be a return to Obama’s original campaign slogan he championed during the 2008 election cycle of “Hope and change.” Whereas President Obama has in the past listed out his legislative agenda specifically, he was somewhat vague, more or less focusing on the achievements that were made in the past year. Some may argue that his final State of the Union is already beginning the transition process for the next president and more so focusing on how history will remember his presidency.

4. Addresses his administration's successes and failures

Of the overall optimistic and upbeat State of the Union, he did acknowledge areas where he felt that he had failed in. One was criticizing the polarization of both the Republican and Democratic parties since assuming the presidential office. This, as well as foreign policy failures, he either hinted at or addressed; however, he focused on domestic policy objectives and successes that history will remember him for.

5. Prompting a long term path for America

The President set forth a path of not regressing backwards to failed policies and fears of the past century. He set forth the illustration that America in the past seven years was on the path of progress and innovation, rather than succumbing to irrational fears or “peddled fiction” of an America long past it’s glory. It seems as if progress could not be stopped or reverted, that liberal and progressive ideas carried more success than conservative ones.

Regardless of political affiliation or ideology, President Obama’s final State of the Union signifies an end of an era. Whether this end will have an equally impressive beginning for a new era in American politics, only time will tell. Yet, this will be a summarizing moment for the Obama years, all with the highs and lows within American politics. One thing that we know for sure, a lot of change is set to occur this year.