The Bullet Background Paper is an effective tool for presenting succinctly written remarks focusing on a single topic or a group of accomplishments and their separate implications. First used by former U.S. President William Howard Taft, it is now generally associated with the annual State of the Union addresses given by new presidents. Taft first gave a Bullet Background Paper when he spoke at length on the need to preserve the nation's natural resources in a speech before the American Association of Petroleum Attorneys in 1909. The following year, he gave another such address before a joint session of Congress on the subject of naval affairs. He again used the instrument in 1911 when he presented a report to Congress on the state of the union. Since then, every president has included a version of the Bullet Background Paper as part of their State of the Union Address. Although not required by law, all but two presidents (George W. Bush and Donald Trump) have included a version of the document. The only exceptions are James Buchanan in 1857 and Abraham Lincoln in 1861, who both made only brief references to the condition of the country during their inaugural speeches because there was no time for a full report.