WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday night made his final State of the Union speech predominated by political talk instead of specific proposals as the United States enters an election year.

"For my final address to this chamber, I don't want to talk just about the next year. I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond," said Obama, mindful of the fact that the remaining time of his presidency is too limited for him to achieve more specific goals in the year ahead.

In broad terms, Obama put forward "four big questions" that he thinks the United States has to answer in the future.

First, Obama said the United States has to give every citizen "a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy."

"What is true -- and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious -- is that the economy has been changing in profound ways," said Obama, after mentioning several economic achievements in his tenure, including reduced unemployment and a narrowed deficit.

To help Americans prepare for the new economy, he called for a continued reform of the U.S. education and training system, strengthening social security and medicare, as well as adjusting the role of government to make sure the system is not rigged in favor of the wealthiest and biggest corporations.

Second, Obama said the United States has to reignite the spirit of innovation to meet urgent challenges. (Xinhua)