Conference Roles

HMC San Francisco Special Program Committees

Press Corps

The HMCSF Press Corps publishes HMCSF’s daily newspaper, The Capitol Chronicle.  The Capitol Chronicle updates conference participants on the news of the day and covers late-breaking developments.  Students learn the challenges of accurate reporting and, with the help of experienced Harvard staff, edit, format, and distribute one edition for each day of the conference, with around ten articles per edition.  In addition, the Press Corps is crucial in alerting the rest of the conference to breaking news and crisis information.  Reporters in the Press Corps choose their own “beats” to cover specific committees, programs, or special events.  They learn to pinpoint key members of Congress and to conduct interviews that help them write well-researched articles.  Students also form editorial boards to decide which stories to run in the next edition and to confront questions of journalistic ethics.

National Economic Council

The past few years have taught the United States all too well the consequences of poor economic planning.  The economic landscape can change quite rapidly, and therefore the president has a council of economic experts to guide him in his decisions and look out for the economic wellbeing of the nation.  This committee will investigate several current economic issues that are facing the country and craft proposals to deal with these concerns.

Presidential Cabinet

The Cabinet is an advisory group to the president comprised of approximately 20 talented and experienced delegates.  Cabinet members formulate the executive’s position on legislative issues, articulate these positions to congressional committees, lobby legislators, and actively promote the president’s legislative agenda.  At formal Cabinet meetings, delegates engage in round-table discussions and debates, crafting executive policies and reviewing legislation to recommend its passage or veto by the president.  The Cabinet program encourages delegates to testify before House and Senate committees and offers exceptional practice in public speaking and debate.

  • Ambassador to the United Nations
  • Attorney General
  • Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Director of the CIA
  • Director of the Office of Management and Budget
  • Drug Czar
  • EPA Administrator
  • Press Secretary
  • Secretary of Agriculture
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Defense
  • Secretary of Education
  • Secretary of Energy
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Secretary of Labor
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of the Interior
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Secretary of Transportation
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • US Trade Representative
  • White House Chief of Staff

National Security Council

The National Security Council (NSC) assists the president in coordinating and implementing American national security initiatives and foreign policy.  At HMCSF, students representing diplomatic and military advisors and governmental agency heads meet to address questions of national security, while producing directives and policy recommendations.  Students in the NSC learn about international affairs while they develop their skills in strategic thinking and creative problem solving under high-pressure circumstances.  From the moment the selected NSC members receive their issue briefings, developments and proceedings remain top secret.  In recent years at HMCSF, the NSC has dealt with issues and crises in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of Defense
  • Attorney General
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Director of the CIA
  • Director of the FBI
  • Director of National Intelligence
  • Director of the National Security Agency
  • Ambassador to the United Nations
  • Ambassador to NATO
  • Army Chief of Staff
  • Chief of Naval Operations
  • Commandant of the Marine Corps
  • Air Force Chief of Staff
  • White House Chief of Staff
  • White House Press Secretary
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
  • Ambassador to Russia
  • Ambassador to China
  • Ambassador to India
  • Ambassador to the United Kingdom

Supreme Court

HMCSF’s Supreme Court program simulates the processes and procedures of the nation’s highest judicial body.  Delegates are charged with protecting and preserving the nation’s Constitution.  Working in teams of two, student attorneys prepare written briefs, argue their position, and judge cases on the most challenging and exciting issues of constitutional law.  Throughout the conference, staff members acting as chief justices will challenge students to craft intricate arguments based both on precedent and personal interpretation of the Constitution.