History of the Center for Public Justice

Rockne McCarthy and James Skillen testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in support of the Tuition Tax Credit Act, to allow parents in non-state schools to deduct a portion of the tuition payment from their federal income taxes.

Skillen, McCarthy, and William Harper then published APJ’s first book, Disestablishment a Second Time: Genuine Pluralism for American Schools.  APJ published Christians Organizing for Political Service, a primer defining the importance of civic responsibility, whose words still inspire.

By 1982, APJ opened the Washington, DC office to focus on critical policy initiatives and developed several early policy papers, including “Just Defense” against nuclear weapons and “Just Representation” about important electoral reforms including proportional representation.

For the next four decades, the renamed Center for Public Justice has grown to become known as the nation’s leading Christian, nonpartisan think tank, conducting policy research, developing and advocating for policy proposals in our pluralistic society.