In recent years, the NJBIZ editorial staff has taken steps to transform these power lists. The lists once included dozens of government bureaucrats and elected officials alongside company founders, CEOs and other business leaders. That seemed incongruous for a couple of reasons.

First, NJBIZ is a business publication. Yes, we cover government and politics because businesses must deal with government and elections just like anyone else. Decisions made in the statehouse or city hall or the local school gymnasium can change the course of the economy and force businesses to adjust hiring, expansion or investment priorities. But the NJBIZ audience is made up of individuals who run businesses – and in our view that’s where our main editorial focus should be.

Second, and most important for this discussion, government officials derive most of their influence from the office they hold. A mediocre legislator, mayor or planning board member wields power despite their shortcomings. Elected officials may be good at campaigning, but bad at governing. So they get elected, but end up being largely ineffectual at best, harmful to the state or locality at worst.

Most business leaders get where they are by demonstrating skill, expertise, talent and energy in a specific field. Colleagues and peers recognize their ability and reward them with increasing responsibilities. Do some rise beyond their level of competence? Of course. But stakeholders are always watching and will demand change if that happens. Pithy campaign slogans won’t help.

So, readers who have followed the changes in these lists might be a bit surprised by the name atop our Law Power 50 top 10 (see below). Therefore, an explanation is in order.

Over the past few months, Attorney General Matt Platkin has almost single-handedly rewritten the political rule book in New Jersey. His refusal to defend the state’s county line ballot system and the indictment of kingmaker George Norcross were bombshells that upended a U.S. Senate campaign and punctured the aura of invincibility surrounding the South Jersey Democratic power structure. And he’s been exceptionally active in all of the blocking and tackling expected of the state’s top law enforcement officer. In a real sense, Platkin has done more than any individual to reshape the expectations and realities of politics and government in New Jersey. He deserves this recognition.

But what about everyone else on the list? Let us know what you think of the honorees profiled in these pages and the choices that landed them here. As always, the top 10 individuals are listed in numerical order; the rest are arranged alphabetically.

Methodology

The Power lists are compiled by the NJBIZ editorial staff based on our reporting throughout the past year with input from experts in a variety of fields and recommendations from our readers. The staff looks for people who have gained public attention – and perhaps acclaim – for their professional accomplishments and public service. Each list identifies individuals who, through their efforts, are helping to make New Jersey a better place to live, work and do business. Honorees are not necessarily better at their jobs than others in their profession, but they have contributed meaningfully to the advancement of the public interest through their work and/or community service.