Protecting Democracy Series

CENSUS
cen·sus (/ˈsensəs/)
noun
“an official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals.” (Dictionary)

WHAT is it? A decennial count of everyone living in the United States.

WHY does it matter? The census presents a snapshot of the country. It provides the information to determine how congressional seats are allocated as well as the number of Electoral College votes each state will receive, how and where an estimated $880 billion in federal monies for infrastructure and public services are allotted, and even where businesses choose to set up shop and where to ship products.

WHO does it affect? The census affects each of us, from representation to resources to business access. An under or overcount could affect marginalized communities by excluding them from necessary resources and funding as well as being represented in legislation.

WHEN does this happen? The census occurs every 10 years and is sent to every household in the United States. In years between censuses, a survey called the American Community Survey is issued to selected households to gather more detailed information. The next census will be taken April 1, 2020.

WHERE do the problems exist? Getting an accurate count is the direct purpose of the census. In recent censuses, information has been gathered via a questionnaire delivered through the mail followed by personal visits from census workers to gather information from addresses failing to report. Next year a digital option as well as a telephone option will be available. This creates concern with cyber-security as well as the protection of personal data.

Additionally, the current administration has proposed including a citizenship question on the upcoming census. A similar question was included on censuses prior to 1950, when it was determined that the question created an inaccurate count due to fear of discrimination. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday regarding the legality of the inclusion of the question. There is concern that the question will deter people from completing the census out of fear that their information will be shared with law enforcement agencies. The law prohibits details of the census from being shared, but general locations and trends can be distributed.

Finally, funding for the census has been less than adequate, resulting in the cancellation of many tests of the reporting system as well as the new digital platform. The lack of testing creates a question of accuracy within the actual information-gathering system as well as a fear of hacking of the information from outside players. Inadequate funding also affects the ability to follow up with households that fail to self-report. It is estimated to cost $57 per visit to non-reporting households. Without sufficient funding, the chance of fewer follow-up visits could result in an undercount.