The Contract With the American Family -- the Christian Coalition's addendum to Newt Gingrich's Contract With America -- is an attempt to shore up mainstream support. Opposition groups call it a Trojan horse -- they say its centrist appearance camouflages an extremist program. Below we deconstruct the contract, showing what it says (quoting from the 32-page document), what the opponents of the Christian Right say it means and the likelihood of these provisions becoming law.

Religion

Education

School choice

Parental rights

Taxes

Abortion

Welfare

Internet regulation

Arts and legal aid

Crime

1. Add a "Religious Equality Amendment" to the Constitution What the Coalition says it would do Allow "voluntary student and citizen-initiated free speech" at public events and protect the "religious liberties of American citizens." What opponents say it would do An amendment would "allow public schools to coerce children to participate in daily religious exercises... and permit government to impose religion on people against their will," says Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Success? Not likely. Prayer amendments have been introduced in the House and Senate, but no action has been taken.

2. Dismantle the federal Department of Education What the Coalition says it would do Return control of education to parents and local communities. Interim target: the Clinton administration's Goals 2000 program -- federal guidelines that establish national standards for what students should learn in high school. What opponents say it would do Roll back the education reforms of the last decade, including opportunity programs such as Title I for the disadvantaged. Success? Not yet. The education department won't disappear any time soon. Goals 2000 was killed off in the House spending bill, but the Senate has budgeted $310 million for it in 1996. Some states and local school boards may decide to pass up Goals 2000 federal funds.

3. Pass school choice legislation What the Coalition says it would do Spur grassroots efforts to reform schools and give parents greater choice in selecting the best school for their children by setting up voucher programs, tuition tax credits and charter schools. What the opponents say it would do Funnel resources into private schools, devastate already struggling school districts in poorer areas and subsidize parents who can already afford to send their children to private schools, according to People for the American Way. Success? Locally only. States are experimenting with vouchers, but whenever they've been on the ballot they've lost. At the national level, Sen. Ted Kennedy recently filibustered the District of Columbia School Reform Act, which called for tuition scholarships to private schools. Last week, two attempts failed at achieving the requisite super majority to override the filibuster.

4. Pass a "Parental Rights" act What the Coalition says it would do "Ensure that parental rights are not violated" and reestablish "that parents have the foremost duty and responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children." What the opponents say it would do Make parents' rights paramount over those of children, thwarting state intervention in cases of child abuse or neglect. Also, give parents veto power over public education by allowing them to remove their children from sex education or other classes they find objectionable. Success? Not likely on the federal level. Legislation introduced in House and Senate has gone nowhere.

5. Enact a $500 tax credit for children, eliminate the marriage penalty and establish a homemaker's IRA What the Coalition says it would do Encourage families to work, save and stay together by reforming the tax code. Also favors, "in concept," a flat or flattened tax. What the opponents say it would do Give added tax breaks to wealthy families while poorer Americans are losing the Earned Income Tax Credit. Success? Yes, in some form. Congress has passed a $125 tax credit but President Clinton vetoed the tax bill. Congress is likely to again pass a child tax credit (with an income cap) and IRA reform. Don't bet on eliminating the marriage penalty, says Sean Ford, editorial director of the nonpartisan Tax Analysts.

6. Restrict abortion and cut funds for family planning services What the Coalition says it would do Ban a procedure known as the partial birth abortion; require states to pay for abortions only when the mother's life is endangered; and defund Title X family planning legislation. Ultimate goal: Legislation or a constitutional amendment "establishing the personhood of the unborn child." What the opponents say it would do Banning the partial birth abortion, a rare procedure used when a mother's life is in danger or in cases of "gross fetal abnormalities," according to Planned Parenthood's Mona Miller, would punish women "facing extraordinarily difficult decisions." Also, it would force poor women who are victims of rape and incest to bear their assailants' children. It would also eliminate funding for gynecological exams, HIV testing, prenatal and obstetrical care, midwife services, breast exams and contraception for the poor. Success? Varied. Both the House and the Senate passed bans on partial birth abortions and restricted Medicaid abortion funding, but President Clinton has vetoed the Medicaid bill and has said he will veto the bill banning partial birth abortions. Title X was killed off in the House, but has been reinstated.

7. Create a "Welfare Check-Off" on federal income tax forms What the Coalition says it would do Individuals would designate a portion of their taxes to private charities and religious organizations. For every dollar the taxpayer designates, the welfare funding to that taxpayer's state would be equally reduced. What the opponents say it would do Provide public funds to religious organizations that don't differentiate between social welfare and proselytizing activities. Success? The idea seems to be catching on. Lamar Alexander said recently on the campaign trail: "I would end the welfare mess in Washington, DC, by canceling the Washington welfare programs and in their place put a fully funded system of neighborhood charities so we could go to work helping people who need help."

8. Restrict pornography on the Internet and cable television What the Coalition says it would do Protect children from exposure to porn on the Internet; require cable companies to completely block to nonsubscribers the audio and video on porn channels; and make the possession of any child pornography illegal. What the opponents say it would do Stifle free electronic speech and violate the First Amendment. Success? Yes. On Feb. 8, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Communications Decency Act.

9. End public funding for the arts and the legal services corporation What the Coalition says it would do Privatize the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Legal Services Corporation. The coalition says the first three promote values counter to those of "mainstream Americans," while Legal Services fosters poverty by working on divorce cases. What the opponents say it would do Destroy arts programs for families and communities, destroy the alternative to commercial children's television and cut off basic legal services for the poor, including orders of protection for battered women. Success? Partial. The NEA and NEH budgets will be cut this year, but not abolished; long-term privatization is likely for Public Broadcasting. Congress has restricted Legal Services' activities and cut its funding by nearly one third.

10. Replace prison recreational programs with privately funded educational efforts; enact victim-restitution legislation What the Coalition says it would do Make prisons about punishment, not recreation; establish work and study requirements; require criminals to compensate their victims. What the opponents say it would do Corrections professionals say cutting recreational facilities is dangerous and shortsighted because it will make prisons more violent and harder to manage. Education programs -- the best weapon against recidivism -- inevitably require state funding. Success? Yes. Educational opportunities have been cut. The last crime bill, for example, made prisoners ineligible for Pell Grants for college-level education. Restitution laws already exist in many states.