The Citizens Campaign

7/29/2019 The Citizens Campaign

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The CitizensManual

The Citizens Manual charts the course to constructive

citizenship and the fulfillment that comes with it.

THOMAS H. KEAN SR.FORMER CHAIR, 9/11 COMMISSIONFORMER GOVERNOR, STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Harry S. Pozycki

Harry S. Pozycki has written avery timely and important citizenshandbook.

Most Americans never get aroundto participating in government orpolitics. Many would like toparticipate, but say they dont knowhow or where to begin. By tellingpeople in simple, practical termshow to get involved in shapinggovernment decisions in theirhometowns and beyond,The Citizens Manual meets thisneed and makes an invaluablecontribution toward a revitalizedAmerican democracy.

DEREK BOKPRESIDENT EMERITUSHARVARD UNIVERSITY H

arry

S.

Pozycki

THE

CITIZENS

MANUAL

Published by the CENTER FOR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY 2005 Harry S. Pozycki

Paths to Power for Regular Citizens


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AUTHORS NOTE 22

INTRODUCTION 24

KNOWING YOUR LOCAL POWER CENTERSCHAPTER 1 The Three Power Centers of Town and City Government 29

CHAPTER 2 The Hidden Power Center: The Local Political Party 15BECOMING A POWERFUL CITIZEN LEGISLATORCHAPTER 3 The Constructive Proposal 23

CHAPTER 4 The Respectful Presentation 27

CHAPTER 5 Political Power Levers 33

CHAPTER 6 The Voting Booth 45

INDEX OF CITIZENS LEGAL RIGHTS TO POLITICAL PARTYAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATIONCHAPTER 7 Town or CityCouncil 53

CHAPTER 8 School Board 63

CHAPTER 9 Planning Board 75

CHAPTER 10 LocalPoliticalParties 79

NOTE TO NON-CITIZENS 85

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 87

TABLE OF CONTENTSEmpowerment Civics: A Resource Book of Legal Rights and Political Skills forCitizen Participation in Local Government

AUTHORS NOTE 22

INTRODUCTION 24

KNOWING YOUR LOCAL POWER CENTERSCHAPTER 1 The Three Power Centers of Town and City Government 29

CHAPTER 2 The Hidden Power Center: The Local Political Party 15BECOMING A POWERFUL CITIZEN LEGISLATORCHAPTER 3 The Constructive Proposal 23

CHAPTER 4 The Respectful Presentation 27

CHAPTER 5 Political Power Levers 33

CHAPTER 6 The Voting Booth 45

INDEX OF CITIZENS LEGAL RIGHTS TO POLITICAL PARTYAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATIONCHAPTER 7 Town or CityCouncil 53

CHAPTER 8 School Board 63

CHAPTER 9 Planning Board 75

CHAPTER 10 LocalPoliticalParties 79

NOTE TO NON-CITIZENS 85

GLOSSARY OF TERMS 87

TABLE OF CONTENTSEmpowerment Civics: A Resource Book of Legal Rights and Political Skills forCitizen Participation in Local Government


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Authors

Note

2

AUTHORS NOTEThis citizens resource book is based on a new vision of American

citizenship in which the standard for civic participation is more than

voting.

Traditionally, civics education taught us to be spectators. Voting

was the end product of our observations. We were taught to revere

the founders and to be in awe of our governments tripartite structure

with its sophisticated checks and balances.

While it is important for civics to give us a knowledge of our

history and an awareness of our governments basic structural

design, without more, traditional civics leaves us feeling distant from

the workings of our democracy and unprepared for participation

beyond the isolated act of voting.

Empowerment Civics was written to provide an expanded

opportunity for civic participation - an opportunity that extends

beyond the ballot box.

In order to enable an increased level of participation, Empower-

ment Civics takes a hometown-first approach to civics education. By

identifying the power centers of local government and teaching the

legal rights of citizens to access and influence these power centers,

civic participation is made more attractive and government more

accessible. Citizens are attracted to participation when they know

the legal rules of play, and government is simply more accessible in

our hometowns than in the state or national capitals.

However, hometown-first civics is not meant to facilitateparticipation solely at the town or city levels. Theres hardly a player

in the major leagues who didnt play little league or high school

baseball. Likewise, learning the rules and techniques for civic

involvement at the local level enables citizens to be prepared to

access and influence government at the higher levels.

It is the authors hope that citizens who are empowered by this

hometown-first introduction to participation civics will share it

with their fellow citizens.


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AUTHORS NOTES

3

While full responsibility for Empowerment Civics remains with

its author, there are many individuals and foundations who have

contributed to its development and publication. They are: The

Fund for New Jersey; Sagner Family Foundation; Steven and Elaine

Pozycki; Common Cause NJ; NJ League of Women Voters; NJ Public

Interest Research Group Law & Policy Center; Gibbons Fellowship

on Constitutional Law; Derek Bok, President Emeritus of Harvard

University; Susan Fuhrman, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School of Education; John Puckett, Associate Dean of the

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education; Dr. C. Roy

Epps, President of the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick;

Clement Price, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor

and Director of the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the

Modern Experience; Alan Rosenthal; William Cox Esq.; Michael Pane

Esq.; Ronald Cucchiaro Esq.; Donna Ardizzone; David Wilkinson;

Jeff Merritt; Rachel Pittard; Sandra Matsen, President, NJ League of

Women Voters; Dee Corona, former Government Relations Director,

NJ Education Association; Tom Byrne, Former Chairman of State

Democratic Party; Chuck Haytaian, Former Chairman of State

Republican Party; Richard McInerney; and Patricia Bernstein.

Special thanks are due to Rob Horowitz for his substantial

research and editing assistance in the development of this handbook

and to the Center for Civic Responsibility for its incubation of the

Empowerment Civics education concept.

AUTHORS NOTES

3

While full responsibility for Empowerment Civics remains with

its author, there are many individuals and foundations who have

contributed to its development and publication. They are: The

Fund for New Jersey; Sagner Family Foundation; Steven and Elaine

Pozycki; Common Cause NJ; NJ League of Women Voters; NJ Public

Interest Research Group Law & Policy Center; Gibbons Fellowship

on Constitutional Law; Derek Bok, President Emeritus of Harvard

University; Susan Fuhrman, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School of Education; John Puckett, Associate Dean of the

University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education; Dr. C. Roy

Epps, President of the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick;

Clement Price, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor

and Director of the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the

Modern Experience; Alan Rosenthal; William Cox Esq.; Michael Pane

Esq.; Ronald Cucchiaro Esq.; Donna Ardizzone; David Wilkinson;

Jeff Merritt; Rachel Pittard; Sandra Matsen, President, NJ League of

Women Voters; Dee Corona, former Government Relations Director,

NJ Education Association; Tom Byrne, Former Chairman of State

Democratic Party; Chuck Haytaian, Former Chairman of State

Republican Party; Richard McInerney; and Patricia Bernstein.

Special thanks are due to Rob Horowitz for his substantial

research and editing assistance in the development of this handbook

and to the Center for Civic Responsibility for its incubation of the

Empowerment Civics education concept.


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Authors

Note

2



voting.





























Authors

Note

2



voting.





























Introduction

4

INTRODUCTIONCitizenship means more than voting and paying taxes. In a

representative democracy, a citizens responsibility is to be actively

involved in public life.

Yet, study after study has documented the decline of citizen

participation. For several decades, each generation has been less

engaged in politics and public affairs than the generation that

preceded it.

Today, citizens are increasingly removed from the public square.

People view government and politics as an inaccessible game of

money players and professional politicians. As a result, they feel

increasingly powerless over the policy decisions that affect their

lives.

Part of the reason for this disengagement is that people lack the

knowledge needed to be effective in the political arena to turn their

ideas into practical action. To move from a spectator to a participant

in our democracy requires understanding your rights as a citizen and

how to use those rights in a constructive and responsible manner.

Yet, the skills required for active citizen participation are not taught

in our schools and adults have no place to go to learn them.

That is the reason for this handbook. It is a practical guide about

how to effectively participate in the public life of our communities.

In concrete detail it shows citizens that they do have power; they

only need to learn how to use it.

The best place to learn how to be active citizens is closest to home

in our own communities. Local government decisions determine

how high your taxes will be, how safe your neighborhoods will be,

the quality of the public schools, and the quality of the environment

in your town.

It is exciting to play a role in determining the shape and quality

of your community. This handbook will help give you the tools to

succeed as you begin to get involved.

The handbook is organized into ten chapters. Chapter Onediscusses the three main power centers of town government - the


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INTRODUCTION

5

elected council or committee and the mayor, the school board, and

the planning board. It highlights the rights that are most useful to

citizens as they attempt to influence the decisions made by these

critically important government bodies.

Chapter Two highlights the hidden power center - the local

political parties. In most communities, the local political parties play

a central role in public affairs, and understanding how they work and

how to get involved in them can help citizens realize their policy

goals. Yet, very few people are aware of the parties importance.

Chapters Three-Five, provide the tools citizens require to exercise

their rights effectively. Chapter Three provides a step-by step guide

on how to develop a sound, responsible proposal to present to the

relevant government body. Chapter Four offers a detailed guide to

making an effective, respectful presentation to a local government

body. Chapter Five provides a road map to constructive citizen action,

including the use of the media to get your message across to the

public and decision-makers and involving your fellow citizens. The

goal of Chapter Six is to highlight the power of the vote, especially

when all the opportunities for its use are realized. Chapters Seven

through Ten provide a detailed summary of citizens legal rights

organized by power center, as well as additional background on the

power centers themselves. Finally, information on how to become

a citizen and which major rights apply to non-citizens is included

in a note at the end of the book as well as a glossary of terms.

HARRY S. POZYCKI


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Introduction

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preceded it.





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in your town.





Introduction

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CHAPTER 1

THREE POWER CENTERS OF

TOWN AND CITY GOVERNMENT

THE HIDDEN POWER CENTER:THE LOCAL POLITICAL PARTY

CHAPTER 2

KNOWING YOURLOCAL POWER CENTERS


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18/101

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19/101



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23/101

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24/101

BECOMING A POWERFULCITIZEN LEGISLATOR

THE VOTING BOOTH

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 3

THE CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSAL

THE RESPECTFUL PRESENTATION

CHAPTER 4

POLITICAL POWER LEVERSCHAPTER 5


25/101

4HE(IDDEN0OWER#ENTE


!UTHORS.OTES

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26/101

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27/101

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28/101

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29/101

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