New Jersey Family Policy Council :: Responsible Citizenship

Responsible Citizenship:

A program designed to foster and encourage the practice of responsible citizenship in the state of New Jersey.

How did the Responsible Citizenship Builders Program originate?

The New Jersey Family Policy Council (NJFPC) is a non-profit research and education organization established in 1995. The vision of the NJFPC is to build New Jersey into one of the best places in the world to raise families. The Council’s mission is to intervene and respond to the breakdown that the traditional family is experiencing. The work of the NJFPC focuses on four initiatives: marriage, fatherhood, youth culture, and responsible citizenship.

The Responsible Citizenship Builders Program, one of the key activities of the Council, seeks to educate and equip New Jersey’s citizens to be informed and active participants in the public policy arena on all levels: local, state, and national. Our guiding principle is the Judeo-Christian ethic of the law of nature and of nature’s God. Our primary goal is to equip New Jersey citizens with the knowledge of their “inalienable rights” and to encourage them to accept responsibility for the preservation of our democratic Republic for successive generations. We persuasively present, both in the public policy arena and in the culture, the ideals and principles needed to restore public opinion, attitudes, and behaviors to reflect a Judeo-Christian worldview.

Why is a Responsible Citizenship Builders Program necessary?

Critical to the endurance and success of our Republic is the informed and consistent involvement of its citizens.

According to the Federal Election Commission:
In the 1996 Presidential Election
6,034,000 New Jersey citizens were eligible to register to vote.
Of these, 4,320,866 (71.61%) were registered to vote.
Of these, 3,075,860 actually voted (50.98% of New Jersey’s voting age population).
In the 1998 Congressional Election
6,075,000 New Jersey citizens were eligible to register to vote.
Of these, 4,126,782 (67.9%) were registered to vote.
Of these, 1,815,489 actually voted (29.9% of New Jersey’s voting age population).
In the 2000 Presidential Election
6,245,000 New Jersey citizens were eligible to register to vote.
Of these, 4,710,768 (75.4%) were registered to vote.
Of these, 3,187,226 actually voted (51% of New Jersey’s voting age population).
In 1996, the average among the states for the percentage of the voting age population that actually voted was 51.4.
In 1998 (mid-term elections), the average among the states was 38.7%.
In 2000, the average among the states was 53.8%.
In all three elections (1996, 1998, and 2000), New Jersey’s percentage of voting age population that actually voted was below average (50.98%, 29.9%, and 51%, respectively).

We believe that the family is at the heart of our society. Part of achieving our vision of building New Jersey into one of the best places in the world to raise families is ensuring that public policy, on both the state and national levels, is conducive to the raising and nurturing of healthy, traditional families.

As indicated by the statistics above, many New Jersey citizens have chosen not to participate in the political process. We believe that this fact is often due to the mistaken belief that the realm of public policy does not directly affect or impact one’s personal life. Yet through issues ranging from tax codes to parental consent, school choice to Internet pornography, freedom of speech to the war on terrorism, the public arena and the decisions made therein do ultimately affect the personal, day-to-day lives of each and every New Jersey citizen.

We are committed to educating New Jersey citizens on the importance of political involvement and to equipping them with the tools and resources necessary for responsible citizenship.

What is our Mission?

Educate and equip New Jersey citizens to exercise active, informed, and responsible citizenship. Mobilize citizens to vote and to present and defend, in the public policy arena, the Judeo-Christian worldview upon which our country was founded.
Equip civic, community, and religious leaders to motivate and foster responsible citizenship amongst those they lead.
Support pro-family legislators and policy makers through sound research and effective strategies that will result in the development and implementation of public policies that support the traditional families.

How is the Responsible Citizenship Builders Program connected to a community or network?

The NJFPC will devote significant efforts to establishing a statewide grassroots coalition of New Jersey individuals and organizations that are actively involved in promoting and encouraging responsible citizenship. These organizations/individuals may include, but are not limited to, business and industry leaders, elected officials, churches and church groups, government workers, boy/girl scouts, public and private schools, and homeschool groups. These individuals/ organizations can be part of a statewide network that fosters and encourages responsible citizenship among New Jersey’s citizens.

Our focus is on the policies and programs that encourage responsible citizenship for the purpose of strengthening families in New Jersey. Our efforts will 1) provide in-depth analysis of and education regarding public policies affecting the family, 2) help mobilize community leaders and groups to promote Responsible Citizenship, 3) encourage elected officials to promote policies that help support and strengthen traditional families.

What will the New Jersey Family Policy Council provide citizen contacts, a.k.a. Liaisons?

The NJFPC provides liaisons with a weekly e-mailed “Liaison Memo,” monthly with an emailed “Bulletin Insert”, quarterly by phone, and at various times throughout the year through special events, training, and educational programs.

What are 10 ways to be an effective New Jersey Family Policy Council Liaison?

1. Consistently pray for our state and national leaders, in accordance to 1st Timothy 2:1-4

2. Subscribe to World Magazine Weekly, a substitute for Time or Newsweek from a Christian perspective (800-951-6397 or www. Worldmag.com)

3. Watch the 30-minute video with friends and family, entitled, “Why Christians Need to Get Involved?” hosted by John Eldridge of Focus on the Family (Contact NJFPC or Focus on the Family directly for pricing of the {4} video set “Community Impact Series”)

4. Make a list of contact information of every elected official in your municipality, school board, county, state, and national district. When an issue arises that requires action, all appropriate representatives’ contact information will be readily accessible.

5. Establish a social/political action group at your Church (NJFPC suggested name= ‘Committee of Correspondence’ after the American Revolutionary War informants) to discuss on a monthly or bi-monthly basis current events that are prevalent to the Judeo-Christian worldview and build an email distribution list for ease of disseminating information as issues arise (i.e. start a political candidate selection study team, judicial review club monitoring decisions, Keep a collage of newspaper, magazine, journal articles for discussion purposes etc.) The 1st four meetings should include viewing Focus on the Family’s (4) set video Community Impact Series. Quality of committed members is paramount to the quantity of members.

6. Read the selected “NJFPC Book of the Month”

7. Run a Voter Registration Drive at your Church twice a year (Sunday October 5th, 2003 & a date TBD for next Spring, 2004)

8. Host a ‘Share the Vision’ event at your Church or Home.

9. Put together a Political Candidates Forum at your Church for candidates to introduce themselves to the congregation, and for prayers to be offered to those potential governmental leaders (Note: Candidates from both major political parties must be invited & documented proof of invitation be saved for reporting purposes is highly recommended)

10. Gather a group of church members together to make a visit to your state Senator and Assemblyman’s offices in order to become acquainted with them and them with you. (The NJFPC has guidelines for you to learn how to make this meeting most effective)