The purpose of JSA was to help high school students acquire leadership skills and the knowledge necessary to be effective debaters and civic participants.

The members elected local, regional, and state leaders to organize JSA conventions, conferences, and political awareness events.

The JSA program included debates, "thought talks," problem solving, and a variety of simulations designed to provide members with an informed viewpoint and the ability to analyze important issues.

Students from all over the world, (most notably England, France, Turkey, Micronesia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hong Kong) attend Summer School.

JSA was founded in 1934 by Professor E. A. Rogers at the Montezuma Mountain School in Los Gatos, California, as an experiment in self-government.

The reasons cited for closure included reduced student participation and increasing costs[1] Notable former members include Leon Panetta (Former Secretary of Defense, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House Chief of Staff, United States Congressman, and Member of the California State Senate), Mike McCurry (Press Secretary under President Bill Clinton), Edwin Meese (Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan), Jennifer Palmieri (White House Communication Director under President Barack Obama) businessman and inventor Charles R. Schwab,[6] and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

[7] There are also 3 current JSA alumni serving in Congress: Mark Takano, Derek Kilmer, and Zoe Lofgren.

The Mid-Atlantic State was composed of chapters from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina.

[15] The Mid-Atlantic State was divided into the New Jersey Region (NJ) and the South Atlantic District (PA, MD, DE, VA, NC).

Winter Congress was held in Arlington, Virginia, while the Spring and Fall State Conventions rotate between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Woodbridge, New Jersey.

[15] Current Governor: Yadira Padilla (Morton West High School) 2024-2025 Current LTG: Brooklyn Ramey (Bloomfield Hills High School) 2023-2024 The Northeast was composed of chapters from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.

Winter Congress was held in Arlington, Virginia, while the Spring and Fall State Conventions rotated between Boston, Massachusetts, Stamford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island.

The Alamo Capitol Region consists of the center of Texas, encompassing cities such as Austin and San Antonio.

The Panhandle Metroplex County consists of the Northeast quadrant of Texas, encompassing cities such as Dallas, Plano, and Fort Worth.

Both consist of debates, thought talks, and special activities, including political fairs and a casual dance.

Fall State was one night, students typically arrive at the hotel on a Saturday and return home the following day.

Spring State, by comparison, usually takes place over three days, students arriving at the hotel on a Friday and returning on Sunday.

At this longer spring convention JSA members in attendance elect regional leaders for the upcoming year.

The biggest programs, which are held at major universities, are Summer Schools, which are conducted by the Junior Statesmen Foundation and offer students an opportunity to study local, state, or national government at an advanced level.

Past speakers have included Mike McCurry, Andy Card, Ben Bernanke, Lee H. Hamilton, Norman Mineta, Joe Trippi, Dennis Kucinich, Chuck Hagel, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Geraldine Ferraro, John Kerry, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, Ted Rall, George H. W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Ed Meese, Bernie Sanders, Brian Williams, Karl Rove, Sebastian Gorka, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Every summer, the newly elected governors each choose a select few from their states or territories to attend the Montezuma National Leadership Summit (affectionately known as "Zuma").

The summit was held in early-to-mid August at Presentation Center in Los Gatos, California, the former site of the Montezuma Mountain School where JSA was founded in 1934.