Y&G About Us

The use of the State Capitol's official chambers and meeting rooms adds a tremendous
amount of dignity to the proceedings of the California YMCA Model Legislature and Court
(ML/C), now in its 60th year. The ML/C is a statewide youth educational program involving
more than 2,300 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in a nine month "hands
on" experience. Since its inception, the program has used a variety of activities to build,
encourage, and strengthen those life assets and character traits that will help high
school youth become involved responsible adults who are decent and respected citizens.
The tool used is a high quality experiential and educational simulation based upon
California's state government. The program is very comprehensive, and its impact on the
youth participants is dramatic. The core purpose of this highly regarded program is
exemplified in the motto "Democracy Must Be Learned By Each Generation."

The program begins in September when 2,200 young people and 250 volunteers at
approximately 80 locations throughout the state meet as individual delegations to
discuss issues facing California. During a nine month period, the teen delegates write
bills, select governmental positions to role-play, attend statewide training conferences,
and run for various elected offices. The program reaches its peak in Sacramento at the
State Capitol with the convening of the five day Model Legislature and Court each
February. There, "real" government moves over and the teen delegates "take over," using
the historic halls, chambers, and offices of our State Capitol, Supreme Court, and
Governor's Office.

However, the program is by no means a government boot camp. A key focus of Youth and Government is the building of
friendships among its participants. During free time at conferences (which can consist of dances, games, or just relaxing)
relationships are built that last a lifetime. It is extremely common for participants to refer to their "Youth and Government
buddies" as the best friends they ever had. The key here is that Youth and Government uses the tool of a Model Legislature and
Court session to provide its participants with the life skills that they will use even if they decide to pursue a professional career
outside of government.

The program is open to all interested high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors whether or not they are members of the
YMCA. The sponsoring organizations, usually (but not exclusively) community YMCAs, form one or more delegations by
recruiting teenagers at high schools or through teen outreach programs. In some cases, delegations are sponsored directly by
schools or other organizations in order for the program to provide opportunities to all interested high school youth at any
location in the State.

Since 1990, the ethnic minority participation has increased from 25%to 30%. This means that more than 2,200 individuals,
nearly reflecting the state's ethnic composition, are working to make a positive difference in California.

The Senate and the Assembly
Delegations research topics for a bill, find the relevant California law code, and make changes they feel will solve a problem
facing the state. Members of the Senate and the Assembly present bills, debate topics, and vote on issues that make bills into
law.

State Boards
The Boards Program focuses on a current issue in education in California, analyzing the status quo, how it should be, what
potential improvements could be made and why those changes should be effected.

Page Program
The role of a Page is to assist the rest of the program areas. Most of the work comes from the Legislative Houses in running
messages between legislators, from legislators to the Youth Governor, and assisting the Presiding Officers and
Sergeants-at-Arms with maintaining order.

Media
Delegates apply for and are appointed to positions in the Press Corps, which includes a daily newspaper, weekend
newsmagazine, and State Historian.

Legislative Analyst
The Legislative Analyst is a non partisan office responsible for fiscal analysis of all legislation for both the Assembly and
Senate. The Legislative Analyst also emphasizes policy and program issues.

Lobbyist
Lobbyists spend the first two days of the conference speaking in committee sessions to persuade senators and assembly
members to support their positions on specific pieces of legislation. Lobbyists are also given an opportunity to voice their own
positions through the use of ballot initiatives.

National Issues Commission (NIC)
NIC commissioners author a proposal on an issue of national or international importance for debate. This is a departure from
other program areas in that the scope of the debate is not centered at the state level. In addition the NIC program differs
because each participant authors a proposal, whereas bills are authored at the delegation level in the Legislature.

Trial Court
Trial Court enacts what most of us think of when we think of the court system and the Judicial Branch of government: criminal
cases. Delegates are assigned roles as prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges.

Appellate Court
Participants in the Appellate Court take positions as attorneys and judges at the Appellate level of the judicial system; that is,
they do not so much try criminal cases as they do evaluate the decisions of lower courts. Often the questions are not even
regarding the facts of a case; most of the work done by the Appellate Courts lies in evaluating the application of the law.

Board of Equalization
The Board is responsible for the administration of more than 30 taxes and fees, including those levied on sales, use, property,
timber, private railroad, fuel, excise and the environment. The Board is the only elected tax board in the United States .

Special Investigative Panel (SIP)
The SIP Program is designed to model Gubernatorial or Presidential "Select" Panels or Commissions that are formed to
research specific issues and problems, interview knowledgeable witnesses and then publish their findings and
recommendations.

The Forum (Freshmen)
All Sophomores are part of The Forum. Designed to provide an introduction to Youth and Government, the Forum provides a
microcosm of nearly every area of California Youth and Government.














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