GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
By Theo McKenzie
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations and welcome to the
Harvard Model Congress San Francisco
Presidential Cabinet! You are about to embark
on a journey through both the hallowed halls of
Congress and the backrooms filled with some
of the nation's most influential powerbrokers.
This guide will help you prepare for your role
as one of the United States' top policy experts.
EXPLANATION OF THE
COMMITTEE
Historical Background
The Cabinet arose from a clause in the
United States Constitution that enables the
president to "require the opinion, in writing, of
the principal officer in each of the executive
departments, upon any subject relating to the
duties of their respective offices". Over the
years, new Cabinet positions have been created
in accordance with the proliferation of
departments within the executive branch. The
original Cabinet consisted of the Secretary of
State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Attorney General, the Postmaster General
(removed during the Nixon Administration),
the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the
Navy (the Departments of War and the Navy
were combined to form Department of Defense
in 1947). The Departments of Agriculture and
the Interior were added in the nineteenth
century, and the Departments of Commerce
and Labor (originally a single department, but
now two separate departments), Health and
Human Services, Housing and Urban
Development,
Transportation,
Energy,
Education, and Veterans Affairs were later
added as well. In September 2001, President
George W. Bush added to his Cabinet the post
of Director of Homeland Security. Amidst a
great deal of debate and controversy over a
Secretary without a department—and a
department many found unnecessary—
Congress subsequently created the Department
of Homeland Security.
The Cabinet is composed of the highestranking officer of each of the 14 executive
departments, as well as other federal officials
the president chooses to elevate to Cabinet
rank. Each of these executive officers advises
the president on specific issues in which he or
she has personal expertise and also on more
general concerns that may impact their
respective departments. At some points in
history, Cabinet members were not among the
president's closest and most trusted advisors.
For example, President Andrew Jackson kept
many of his political enemies in his Cabinet
and relied on an informal "kitchen Cabinet" of
top advisors when making his most important
decisions.
Today, the presidential Cabinet is the top
advisory board in the executive branch.
Cabinet members hold a demanding position;
they bear the great responsibility of advising
the president on the nation's most pressing
1
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
concerns. Members must digest information
quickly and make difficult, informed decisions
at a moment's notice. Cabinet members
simultaneously perform many roles which
include but are not limited to: engaging in
policy debate during classified meetings,
testifying before full congressional committees,
and approving actions of the National Security
Council should a crisis threaten the safety of
US citizen.
The federal government is too large for any
one person to be an expert on every issue that
faces the nation. Thus, the Cabinet is a very
important resource for both Congress and the
president. Because each Cabinet department
implements the policies that Congress and the
president create, Cabinet secretaries who
evaluate legislation should always consider
pragmatic concerns such as the feasibility of
implementation, costs and benefits, and
departmental jurisdiction.
The members of the Cabinet make
recommendations based on their expertise, the
general principles of their departments,
informed consideration of other departments'
competing needs, and an intricate understanding
of the practical implications of policymaking.
Generally, even after close consideration of
their political leanings, Cabinet members are
supportive of the president's overall platform largely because the president appointed all of
them, and they serve "at the pleasure of the
president". Yet, Cabinet members often
disagree with each other because resources
allocated to one department are often granted at
the expense of another. To further complicate
matters, jurisdictions often overlap. Indeed, it
is this dynamic that makes Cabinet debates
exciting.
Presidential Cabinet Model
This section outlines the basic format of the
Presidential Cabinet at the conference.
Before the Conference
2 – GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
1. Submit an application to be a member of
the Presidential Cabinet
2. Notification of appointment to Cabinet:
When you are notified about your
selection to the Presidential Cabinet, you
will receive:
a. Your role assignment in the newly
elected President's cabinet. You
will take on this role and
perspective for the duration of the
conference.
b. The list of issues on which you will
focus your research and write
position papers. Congressional
briefings on these issues written by
HMC staff members will be
available to you through the HMC
website.
3. Policy proposals for submission to HMC
staff
a. For each of your issues, you will
submit a one-page, single-spaced
policy proposal that states your
expert opinion on the topic,
provides specific explanations of the
administration's positions, and offers
factual support for your stance on
the platform that the president
should adopt.
b. Based upon both the provided
briefing materials and independent
research, your recommendation
should consider the interests of your
department and the implications for
the president, while striving to
promote the nation's best interests.
You will find that these policy
proposals form the basis of your
positions
throughout
the
conference.
For
additional
information, please refer to the
section on policy proposals later in
this guide.
4. Research and reparation
a. You will prepare short (two minute)
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
presentations on each of your
topics. These should summarize the
major points of your policy
proposal, issues of contention,
recent news, press releases, and
anything else you believe is
important
or
would
add
substantially to the discussion.
b. You will share these presentations
both with the rest of the Cabinet
and with congressional committees
when they request testimony or
information.
c. This guide will prepare you to
provide expert executive testimony
during Senate and House committee
sessions about the issues for which
you are responsible. It should also
include pointers on how to convey
that you are the foremost expert on
your topic, how to answer difficult
questions from members of
Congress, and other tips that should
help you to make the president's
position clear to both your fellow
Cabinet members and to the
committees before which you
testify. Remember to make these
proposals clear and persuasive. You
are your department's chief advocate
and must represent its views when
you speak to the president and to
Congress.
5. Focus on policy proposals; policy
proposals are similar in form to the
operative clauses of a bill and state what
the Cabinet feels is the appropriate
response to the given topics. These will
be debated, modified, and then approved
at the conference by the entire Cabinet.
Once the Cabinet has approved the policy
proposals, you may testify and lobby in
committees to encourage legislators to
adopt your proposals. Once both the
House and Senate pass a bill, the Cabinet
will compare it to the policy proposal and
will ask the president to sign the bill if the
Cabinet feels that the bill is acceptable
according to its policy position.
Remember, strong Cabinet policy
proposals guide the hands of legislators.
Thus, you have the power to shape
legislation both before and after Congress
considers it. You offer expert advice to
both the committees and the president.
At the Conference
1. Call to order and roll call
2. Introductions – At the beginning of the
session, Cabinet members will introduce
themselves in terms of their education,
former government positions, other
relevant information, and they will
describe their departments, and the
critical issues (both policy-oriented and
personal) that have arisen during their
tenure. Please be prepared to make such a
presentation.
3. Setting the agenda – there are several
criteria upon which priorities should be
determined, including but not limited to:
a. Timeliness: Is the issue currently a
"hot topic," or is it part of an
extended, on-going debate?
b. Necessity of executive influence:
Does it appear that the issue faces a
tough vote in committee, or it is
fairly clear that bipartisan politics
will assure victory for the
administration?
c. Importance to the president: Is the
issue something that the president
truly cares about or is it only
tangentially related? It is your
responsibility to work with the rest
of the Cabinet to determine your
collective priorities in light of the
president's agenda.
4. Presentation of Issues by Cabinet
Members – Cabinet members who are
experts on the issue brought under debate
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HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
will present an overview of the issue,
review the main points of their policy
proposals, and explain which policy is
the best one. Therefore, make sure that
you are comfortable and familiar with the
specifics of your position on any given
topic.
5. Presidential Angle and Q & A Session –
On sensitive topics, the president may
brief the Cabinet on the political and
bureaucratic considerations of an issue.
This is a way of clarifying the official
executive position as well as fine-tuning
the positions of the administration on key
issues.
6. Debate on Issues – Debate will be
governed by the rules of parliamentary
procedure. Please refer to the procedural
rules for congressional committees to
gain
an
understanding
of
the
fundamentals of debate.
7. Consideration of Policy Proposal – The
policy proposal on the floor may either be
a revised version of the original proposal
or a new draft. It is advised that a motion
to caucus be entertained to finalize the
proposals in order to most efficiently
work out details.
8. Vote on Policy Proposal – A simple
majority is needed to pass an executive
policy proposal, though the group must
work to build consensus and establish a
unified position for the administration.
The president can have only one opinion.
9. Testimony in Congressional Committees
– As congressional debate rages during
the conference, committees will request
your expert testimony on your policy
proposals and the executive platform.
Once again, your policy proposals will be
useful in preparing such presentations to
integrate legislative and executive powers
and agendas.
10. Advising the president – An important
part of your role as a member of the
Presidential Cabinet is to advise the
4 – GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
president whether to sign legislation that
has been approved by both the House and
the Senate.
The Cabinet Member as a Lobbyist
Because you oversee the implementation of
any law that is passed regarding your
department, your words will carry extra weight
as "expert" testimony. In discussing various
proposals and ideas, members of Congress will
look to you not only as an advisor to the
president but also an expert under whose
guidance carefully-crafted proposals could
come to fruition.
Tips on Testimony
Part of being a spokesperson for the
administration and your department is serving
as an expert witness. You will act as a witness
when a congressional committee requests your
testimony on an issue. When you are called to
testify, you will have only a few minutes to
speak to the committee. After you speak, they
will question you about the issue and can recall
on you later during the debate for more
questions. During your testimony, you should
try to use the following strategies:
1. Be organized. Prepare an outline or
summarize your major points before you
come to committee. No matter how well
prepared and rehearsed you are, it is
always nice to have something written
down as a guide.
2. Use facts and quotes. Periodically during
your speech, toss in statistics that support
your viewpoint; however, be wary of
getting bogged down with the recitation
of numbers. In addition, try to start or
conclude your speech with a quote,
especially one that is emotional and
capable of speaking to your audience's
conscience.
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
3. Be clear and straightforward. Longwinded speeches are ineffective. If you
speak too long on one point, you risk
losing everyone's attention. Be concise.
4. Address the questions that are asked of
you. After your testimony, the committee
may ask you questions. Be sure to
answer their questions directly rather
than reiterating your testimony. Don't fear
questions; they present an extra
opportunity for you to convince the
committee of your position.
5. Argue for your proposal. Remember, the
committee will draft the actual law; you
can only influence the direction of US
policy by influencing the committee.
6. Respect the committee. Even if you think
all the members are wrong, always be
polite while you speak. Remember, you
represent your department and the
President of the United States.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
There is almost no obstacle to a Cabinet
Member’s success that cannot be overcome,
given proper preparation. Lack of experience,
lack of self-confidence, and lack of knowledge
about the legislative process can all be
accommodated. It is most important to
remember that functioning as an effective
Cabinet member requires a wealth of
knowledge about assigned topic areas and the
ability to speak confidently about that
knowledge. If you have not prepared in
advance by learning about the topic areas, you
will find that your testimony will have no
influence on congressional committees. On the
other hand, if you have taken the time to read
and consider the issues, you will have no
trouble acting as an effective proponent of the
president’s agenda. It is also important to
familiarize yourself with the other issues facing
Cabinet debate so that you will be able to make
informed contributions to the discussion on all
topics brought before the Cabinet.
Step One: The Basics
Your first step in research should be to read
the briefings written by the HMC staff for
congressional committees. The briefings
provide excellent outlines of the issues to be
discussed and go into detail on the various
points of debate that will be guiding the
legislators.
In these briefings, you should keep a
particularly close eye on the "Focus of Debate"
and "Possible Solutions" sections since they will
address your questions most directly. By the
time you have read the briefing, you should
have a reasonable expectation about what types
of issues legislators will be addressing, as well
as the concerns and goals of the executive
branch regarding the topic. It is quite likely
that while you are testifying in the House or
Senate, the members of Congress will bring up
points and arguments from these sections, so be
sure you can address these quickly and
accurately.
For more information on any of the points
addressed in the briefings, take a look at the
bibliography. A frequent source of information
for Harvard Model Congress briefings is
Congressional Quarterly and Congressional
Research Service (CRS) Issue Briefs/Info
Packs. Congressional Quarterly (or CQ, as it is
affectionately called by insiders) is available in
nearly any public or university library, but you
will have to contact your senator or
representative to get CRS materials. Make sure
you give congressional staff plenty of time to
get CRS materials for you because they are
sometimes not available.
The HMC staff members who wrote the
briefings that you are assigned can also be of
help to you — feel free to reach out to them!
Step Two: Researching Opinions
The President’s Opinion
GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET – 5
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
You will often be able to glean a good
amount of information from the briefing itself,
which may even have very specific information
on the presidential opinion regarding an issue.
If the topic you are researching is one that has
been in the news recently, check newspapers
and periodicals, especially Time, Newsweek,
US News and World Report, and The New York
Times. These sources will generally have
excellent coverage of major news events, with
a special emphasis on presidential opinion.
Also, feel free to utilize the Internet and local
libraries to aid your research.
If you have access to an online search
facility such as Lexis-Nexis, you can very
easily do a word search combining (for example)
"Bush" and "cable TV regulation," which will
give you full-text printouts from newspapers,
magazines, and radio and television shows
nationally.
You can also get information straight from
the source by calling the White House press
office at (202) 456-1414.
Your Department
The process of researching your
department's opinion on a particular issue is
similar to the process of ascertaining the
president's view. All departments have
homepages — these are valuable resources and
often have the latest speeches, press releases,
and department actions listed.
Again, a computer search combining your
department's name or your Cabinet member's
name (eg Kathleen Sebelius) with key words
from the issue you are researching should yield
some good information.
Some departments will have their own
publications (the Department of State
Dispatch, for example) which highlight key
issues being discussed within the department.
You should check with your library for
availability of such publications. If you find
that they are not locally available, you may try
6 – GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
to contact your department's press office
directly.
Your Role
This may very well be the trickiest part of
your research. While information on a
department's perspective on an issue may be
available, it is often difficult to find an
individual’s opinion.
Much of your work in researching your
opinion will be based on inferences from
attitudes and perspectives expressed by your
Cabinet member. If it is available, a packet of
role biographies will be made available to you
following the first round of Cabinet
appointments. It is important that you collect
information on your education and occupation
before called upon by the president. You can
and should use this information to deduce your
political leanings. Keep this background in
mind as you go back and reread the briefings a
second time. Check CQ and the Congressional
Record (a transcript of congressional hearings)
for information on your role.
What do politicians think were the
strengths and weaknesses you bring to your
office? Who are your friends and who are your
adversaries in the Senate during your hearings?
What controversies have clouded your
nomination hearing? From these pictures you
ought to get a fairly clear picture of how you –
as an individual – my stand on a given issue.
Step Three: Policy Proposals
For each of your issues, you are
responsible for drafting a policy proposal that
states your expert opinion as the principal
officer of your executive department. A
policy proposal outlines the problem
addressed, provides background information,
considers presidential interests, and ultimately
offers a well-reasoned, well-supported solution.
Your proposal should be one page long
(single-spaced) and provide factual support for
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
your arguments, explicitly stating the steps that
the government should take to address the
problem and describing the critical issues
relevant to the topic. It should first be a "wish
list" of policy — what your ideal policy would
be — but should also state which parts of the
proposal are open to compromise. Please see
the included model proposal for a written
example and make sure to bring printed copies
of your proposal to the conference for your
own reference. You will submit these policy
proposals at the Cabinet's committee page on the
HMC website at harvardmodelcongress.org.
Step Four: Preparing Testimony
Along with committee debate among
Cabinet members, testimony will represent the
greatest part of your responsibility during
congressional sessions. Be sure to articulate
your thoughts clearly in your position papers,
as these will be the springboard for debate in
Cabinet sessions.
Below are some questions to keep in mind
as your prepare to testify:
1. Does your testimony reflect your
departmental responsibilities? Are you
representing the president's view on the
issue? Are you striking a proper balance
between these two roles?
2. Who will be your supporters and who
will be your opponents in committee?
3. Are you effectively addressing the
concerns of your political opponents
while
remaining
true
to
the
administration's position?
4. What are the overall implications of
your plan? Are there short-term gains
versus long-term losses, or vice-versa?
When you are in committee, remember that
you represent the President of the United
States. Your actions reflect directly on the
president, and so it is imperative to always
represent the president well.
PRE-CONFERENCE THOUGHTS
As you take the preceding steps to prepare
for the conference and for your roles as an
informant, lobbyist, and policy-maker, ask
yourself the following questions:
1. Why is the law the way it is, or why is
there no law on this issue?
2. What reasons were used in the past to
justify the existing law, or for not
making any laws on this subject?
3. Why has there been a call to change the
situation, and who is making that call?
4. Are there examples of the effects of a
similar law?
5. What are the strongest arguments for
your side of the issue, and what facts or
quotes support these arguments?
6. How do your opponents counter these
arguments, and how can you be
prepared to defend against these
attacks?
7. How can your department practically
implement a particular policy?
SOME FINAL REMINDERS
Remember, as you will be given a specific
role, you want to play your part as
convincingly as possible. Play your role with
excitement. Because you have done your
research and are well prepared, you will have
senators and representatives listening to your
every word; future legislation rests on your
opinions. A good Cabinet member will
research both sides of the issue, learning both
the strong and weak points of his or her
argument.
In addition, you need to find out how
certain members of Congress feel about your
assigned issues. As you search through sources
to learn about each topic, take notes on the
positions and actions of individual members on
the issue — particularly those on political
GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET – 7
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
extremes of the matter. Also, take note of who
in Congress supports each side on the issue,
including his or her party affiliation,
ideological or religious beliefs, and social or
economic interests of members or their
constituents. Finally, consult a reference guide
like the Almanac of American Politics to learn
some basic information about each
congressperson. The Presidential Cabinet
Directors can supply you with the names of the
congresspersons in each committee.
Once again, nothing can prepare you better
for the conference than research on the issues
the committees will debate. If you are a handy
and
reliable
resource,
senators
and
representatives will depend on you for vital
information. And when they realize that you
know more than they do on an issue, you will
have a much easier time convincing them to
vote in your favor or to consider the intricacies
of the issue.
Remember, although you are in committee
to lobby for a position, you are not a lobbyist.
Be sure to distinguish yourself from the
lobbyists who have predetermined agendas.
Rather, act like an expert who, after careful
objective analysis, has arrived at a position.
You do not represent any special interest
groups or businesses; you represent the
President of the United States and your
department. Try to appeal to both Democrats
and Republicans with your expert knowledge,
and always be cognizant of the president's
agenda.
When preparing to lobby, you should
remember that you may also need to persuade
your fellow Cabinet members, so try to
understand their objections and positions as
well. This will maximize your effectiveness.
With a lot of research and a good argument,
your effectiveness on behalf of the president
and your department will be unparalleled.
SAMPLE POLICY PROPOSAL
8 – GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
Policy Proposal: A Program
for Mandatory Public
High School Drug Testing
Background
Teen drug use has increased over the last
10 years by 12.6%, according to statistics from
the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and
Teenwatch, a non-profit group that monitors
teen behavior. According to the Department of
Justice, one-fourth of the crimes committed by
youth were committed when the offender was
under the influence of illegal drugs. Some
estimate that 30% of all public school students
have been offered or had access to illegal
narcotics. This is something that the current
administration must address.
Proposal
All public schools receiving federal
funding will receive funds for up to four
school-wide drug tests. These drug tests must
be purchased from the lowest of at least three
bids submitted by urine analysis drug testing
firms certified by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). The FDA shall
determine standards for the degree of accuracy
acceptable for the laboratories. All tests will be
administered
randomly,
with
results
confidentially disclosed only to the student,
guardians, and the school drug-testing
counselor.
The school drug-testing counselor will be a
certified health professional who will be
responsible for maintaining the integrity of the
testing process. He or she will also be
responsible for administering counseling
services to students with positive drug use
results. For every 25 positive drug tests, one
additional counselor will be assigned to the
school to keep up with rising needs.
Students testing positive must attend 10
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
hours of family counseling sessions. Upon
completion, the student must submit to a repeat
drug test. A repeated positive test will result in
students being enrolled in a four-week antidrug use class. A third positive test in a single
school year will result in suspension from
school and enrollment in a federally subsidized
drug addiction program. The United States
Congress can determine further details.
Administration View and Impact
Because of the powerful public outcry
during the last election, we believe that this can
be one of the central issues of the
administration's education reform. The degree
of counseling provided is open to debate, but
we are unwilling to provide the tests without
some form of counseling services. The
administration is amenable to alternative
secure drug testing services without federal
funding, provided that they ensure the same
degree of confidentiality and integrity in the
testing process.
Suggestions for alternative resources
include
private
industry
fundraising,
substituting federal funding for corporate
donations, and the creation of an accessible
non-school based alternative testing center. The
administration is also willing to consider the
suspension of driver's licenses for all students
who test positive as an alternative to the initial
drug counseling seminars.
SAMPLE CABINET DEBATE
Cabinet Directors: Welcome to the
Presidential Cabinet. Congratulations on being
selected and thank you for your memoranda.
Now we're going to set the agenda for policy
debate.
Veterans Affairs: Excuse me, what do I do
with my policy proposals?
Cabinet Directors: Good question. Hopefully,
you have already submitted them to the HMC
website. We have printed out these proposals
to share with the rest of the committee and will
keep them until your issue comes up for debate.
Then we'll ask you to distribute them to serve
as our starting point for debate on the issue.
Now, we're going to set the agenda for policy
debate. We encourage you to discuss the most
high profile, critical issues being debated in the
House and Senate first. Also, you may want to
know that at this moment, committees have
begun debate on the issue of nuclear waste
disposal.
Housing
and
Urban
Development:
(interrupting) But won't that really tie us up in
long debates?
Cabinet Directors: Though you should always
formally ask for the floor or for points of order,
you do make a good point. We also hope that
all of you balance the agenda docket with
issues that appear to have clear Cabinet
consensus and that will require minimal debate.
Now, you'll caucus to set the agenda, and then
we'll survey your preferences to determine the
order of policy issues.
(After a brief caucus and a vote, the agenda is
set.)
Cabinet Directors: Great! We've determined
the first five items on the agenda. Now, we'll
proceed to the first issue: DEA reorganization.
Briefing the Cabinet will be the Director of the
ONDCP. (Office of National Drug Control
Policy Director presents policy proposal and
answers questions.)
Cabinet Directors: Are there any other
departments who have differing positions that
they want the Cabinet
to consider?
Attorney General: I believe we should
GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET – 9
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS SAN FRANCISCO 2014
consider the fiscal and law enforcement burden
on the Justice Department by removing some
officers from the DEA. If that is not possible,
there should be an increase in our funding, or at
least more formal authority and stricter laws for
proper enforcement.
Health and Human Services: My department is
also concerned with possible reductions in
public health funding related to our drug
prevention programs. We feel that what we do
with regard to drug treatment is very different
from what the ONDCP does and very
necessary to our work. Basically, we feel that
we can only support this if you can guarantee
that our funding won't be cut.
...Let the debating begin!
CONCLUSION
You have been identified as an intelligent,
motivated, and experienced Harvard Model
Congress delegate and chosen to be part of a
select group of people with the power to
influence the president and Congress on the
most pressing and crucial issues. Your
arguments in committees are crucial for
shaping and directing legislation in line with the
president's agenda and will help assure wellwritten
and
informed
bills.
Your
recommendations on whether to sign or to veto
legislation passed by the House and Senate will
be critical for a presidential decision. You have
just read some detailed yet flexible guidelines
for preparing for Harvard Model Congress
Presidential Cabinet. Now, it is time for you to
get to work, read your issue briefings, research
the issues, contact your Cabinet member's
office, and draft policy proposals. We look
forward to meeting you at Harvard Model
Congress San Francisco 2014!
10 – GUIDE TO THE PRESIDENTIAL CABINET