United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau (USCB; officially the Bureau of the Census, as defined in Title 13 U.S.C. § 11) is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States.

Bureau of the Census
Agency overview
FormedJuly 1, 1902 (1902-07-01)
Preceding agency
  • Temporary census offices
HeadquartersSuitland, Maryland, U.S.
Employees4,285 (2018)
Annual budgetUS$1.5 billion (2017)
US$1.5 billion (2018)
US$3.8 billion (est. 2019)
Agency executives
Parent agencyDepartment of Commerce
Websitewww.census.gov

The Census Bureau's primary mission is conducting the U.S. Census every ten years, which allocates the seats of the U.S. House of Representatives to the states based on their population.[1] The Bureau's various censuses and surveys help allocate over $675 billion in federal funds every year and it helps states, local communities, and businesses make informed decisions.[2][3][4] The information provided by the census informs decisions on where to build and maintain schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, and police and fire departments.[4]

In addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts over 130 surveys and programs a year,[5] including the American Community Survey, the U.S. Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey.[1] Furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau.

Census headquarters in Suitland, Maryland

Article One of the United States Constitution (section II) directs the population be enumerated at least once every ten years and the resulting counts used to set the number of members from each state in the House of Representatives and, by extension, in the Electoral College. The Census Bureau now conducts a full population count every 10 years in years ending with a zero and uses the term "decennial" to describe the operation. Between censuses, the Census Bureau makes population estimates and projections.[6]

In addition, Census data directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and more.[7] The Census Bureau is mandated with fulfilling these obligations: the collecting of statistics about the nation, its people, and economy. The Census Bureau's legal authority is codified in Title 13 of the United States Code.

The Census Bureau also conducts surveys on behalf of various federal government and local government agencies on topics such as employment, crime, health, consumer expenditures, and housing. Within the bureau, these are known as "demographic surveys" and are conducted perpetually between and during decennial (10-year) population counts. The Census Bureau also conducts economic surveys of manufacturing, retail, service, and other establishments and of domestic governments.

Between 1790 and 1840, the census was taken by marshals of the judicial districts.[8] The Census Act of 1840 established a central office[9] which became known as the Census Office. Several acts followed that revised and authorized new censuses, typically at the 10-year intervals. In 1902, the temporary Census Office was moved under the Department of Interior, and in 1903 it was renamed the Census Bureau under the new Department of Commerce and Labor. The department was intended to consolidate overlapping statistical agencies, but Census Bureau officials were hindered by their subordinate role in the department.[10]

An act in 1920 changed the date and authorized manufacturing censuses every two years and agriculture censuses every 10 years.[11] In 1929, a bill was passed mandating the House of Representatives be reapportioned based on the results of the 1930 Census.[11] In 1954, various acts were codified into Title 13 of the US Code.[12]

By law, the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. President by December 31 of any year ending in a zero. States within the Union receive the results in the spring of the following year.

Data collection
U.S. Census Bureau Regions and Divisions

Census regions and divisions

The United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions.[13] The Census Bureau regions are "widely used...for data collection and analysis".[14] The Census Bureau definition is pervasive.[15][16][17]

Regional divisions used by the United States Census Bureau:[18]

Uses of census data

Many federal, state, local and tribal governments use census data to:

  • Decide the location of new housing and public facilities,
  • Examine the demographic characteristics of communities, states, and the US,
  • Plan transportation systems and roadways,
  • Determine quotas and creation of police and fire precincts, and
  • Create localized areas for elections, schools, utilities, etc.
  • Gathers population information every 10 years

Data stewardship

The United States Census Bureau is committed to confidentiality, and guarantees non-disclosure of any addresses or personal information related to individuals or establishments. Title 13 of the U.S. Code establishes penalties for the disclosure of this information. All Census employees must sign an affidavit of non-disclosure prior to employment.

The Bureau cannot share responses, addresses or personal information with anyone including United States or foreign government and law enforcement agencies such as the IRS or the FBI or Interpol. "Providing quality data, for public good—while respecting individual privacy and, at the same time, protecting confidentiality—is the Census Bureau's core responsibility"; "Keeping the public's trust is critical to the Census's ability to carry out the mission as the leading source of quality data about the Nation's people and economy."[19] Only after 72 years does the information collected become available to other agencies or the general public.[20] Seventy-two years was picked because usually by 72 years since the census is taken, most participants would be deceased.[20]

Despite these guarantees of confidentiality, the Census Bureau has some history of disclosures to other government agencies. In 1918, the Census Bureau released individual information regarding several hundred young men to the Justice Department and Selective Service system for the purpose of prosecutions for draft evasion.[21][22] During World War II, the United States Census Bureau assisted the government's Japanese American internment efforts by providing confidential neighborhood information on Japanese-Americans. The Bureau's role was denied for decades but was finally proven in 2007.[23][24]

United States census data are valuable for the country's political parties; Democrats and Republicans are highly interested in knowing the accurate number of persons in their respective districts.[25] These insights are often linked to financial and economic strategies that are central to federal, state and city investments for locations of particular populations.[26] Such apportionments are designed to distribute political power across neutral spatial allocations; however, "because so much is at stake, the census also runs the risk of being politicized."[27]

Such political tensions highlight the complexity of identity and classification; some argue that unclear results from the population data "is due to distortions brought about by political pressures."[28] One frequently used example includes ambiguous ethnic counts, which often involves underenumeration and/or undercounting of minority populations.[28] Ideas about race, ethnicity and identity have also evolved in the United States, and such changes warrant examination of how these shifts have impacted the accuracy of census data over time.[29]

The United States Census Bureau began pursuing technological innovations to improve the precision of its census data collection in the 1980s. Robert W. Marx, the Chief of the Geography Division of the USCB teamed up with the US Geological Survey and oversaw the creation of the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) database system.[30] Census officials were able to evaluate the more sophisticated and detailed results that the TIGER system produced; furthermore, TIGER data is also available to the public. And while the TIGER system does not directly amass demographic data, as a geographic information system (GIS), it can be used to merge demographics to conduct more accurate geospatial and mapping analysis.[31]

In July 2019 the Census Bureau deprecated American Fact Finder for the new platform data.census.gov, providing support for data users accessing the new site.[32]

Ongoing surveys

A survey is a method of collecting and analyzing social, economic, and geographic data. It provides information about the conditions of the United States, states, and counties. Throughout the decade between censuses, the bureau conducts surveys to produce a general view and comprehensive study of the United States' social and economic conditions.

Staff from the Current Surveys Program conduct over 130 ongoing and special surveys about people and their characteristics.[33] A network of professional field representatives gathers information from a sample of households, responding to questions about employment, consumer expenditures, health, housing, and other topics. Surveys conducted between decades:

Other surveys conducted

The Census Bureau collects information in many other surveys and provides the data to the survey sponsor for release. These sponsors include:

Organizational structure
See also: Director of the United States Census Bureau
U.S. Census Bureau Regional Office Boundaries

Since 1903, the official census-taking agency of the United States government has been the Bureau of the Census. The Census Bureau is headed by a Director, assisted by a Deputy Director and an Executive Staff composed of the associate directors.

The Census Bureau has had headquarters in Suitland, Maryland, since 1942. A new headquarters complex there was completed in 2007 and supports over 4,000 employees.[44] The Bureau operates regional offices in 6 cities:[45] New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles. The National Processing Center is in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Additional temporary processing facilities facilitate the decennial census, which employs more than a million people. The cost of the 2000 Census was $4.5 billion. During the years just prior to the decennial census, parallel census offices, known as "Regional Census Centers" are opened in the field office cities. The decennial operations are carried out from these facilities. The Regional Census Centers oversee the openings and closings of smaller "Area Census Offices" within their collection jurisdictions. The estimated cost of the 2010 Census is $14.7 billion.

On January 1, 2013, the Census Bureau was to consolidate its 12 regional offices into 6. Increasing costs of data collection, changes in survey management tools such as laptops and the increasing use of multi-modal surveys (i.e. internet, telephone, and in-person) has led the Census Bureau to consolidate.[46] The remaining regional offices will be in: New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles.[47]

The Census Bureau also runs the Census Information Center cooperative program that involves 58 "national, regional, and local non-profit organizations". The CIC program aims to represent the interests of underserved communities.[48]

Computer equipment
Census Bureau employees tabulate data using one of the agency’s UNIVAC computers, ca. 1960.

The 1890 census was the first to use the electric tabulating machines invented by Herman Hollerith.[49][50] For 1890–1940 details, see Truesdell, Leon E. (1965). The Development of Punch Card Tabulation in the Bureau of the Census, 1890–1940: With outlines of actual tabulation programs. US GPO. In 1946, knowing of the Bureau's funding of Hollerith and, later, Powers, John Mauchly approached the Bureau about early funding for UNIVAC development.[51] A UNIVAC I computer was accepted by the Bureau in 1951.[52]

Handheld computers (HHC)

Historically, the census information was gathered by census takers going door-to-door collecting information in a ledger. Beginning in 1970 information was gathered via mailed forms. To reduce paper usage, reduce payroll expense and acquire the most comprehensive list of addresses ever compiled, 500,000 handheld computers (HHCs) (specifically designed, single purpose devices) were used for the first time in 2009 during the address canvassing portion of the 2010 Decennial Census Project. Projected savings were estimated to be over $1 billion.[53][54][55]

Security precautions
Main article: Device fingerprint

The HHC was manufactured by Harris Corporation, an established Department of Defense contractor, via a controversial[56][57] contract with the Department of Commerce. Secured access via a fingerprint swipe guaranteed only the verified user could access the unit. A GPS capacity was integral to the daily address management and the transfer of gathered information. Of major importance was the security and integrity of the populace's private information.

Success and failure

Enumerators (information gatherers) that had operational problems with the device understandably made negative reports. During the 2009 Senate confirmation hearings for Robert Groves, President Obama's Census Director appointee, there was much mention of problems but very little criticism of the units.[56] In rural areas, the sparsity of cell phone towers caused problems with data transmission to and from the HHC. Since the units were updated nightly with important changes and updates, operator implementation of proper procedure was imperative. Dramatic dysfunction and delays occurred if the units were not put into sleep mode overnight.

Notable alumni
gollark: Er, true range multilateration, right... I think the difference is that true range multilateration uses distances.
gollark: Wikipedia says GPS is multilateration and not trilateration.
gollark: I think three results in there sometimes being two possible points.
gollark: It's finding the intersection point of three/four spheres or something.
gollark: Sometimes you get errors with only three.

See also

References
  1. USCB DOC-D1026 QVC Manual 01/03/09
  2. "Why We Conduct the Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. October 28, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  3. "BNL Consulting". bnlconsulting.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  4. "Analysis | The U.S. census is in trouble. This is why it's crucial to what the nation knows about itself". Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  5. Bureau, US Census. "List of All Surveys & Programs". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. "Census Population Estimates". U.S. Bureau of the Census. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006.
  7. "U.S. Census Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  8. History 1790 Archived October 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. US Census Bureau.
  9. History 1840 Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. US Census Bureau.
  10. History: 1900 Overview. US Census Bureau.
  11. History 1920 Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. US Census Bureau.
  12. History 1954 Archived July 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. US Census Bureau.
  13. United States Census Bureau, Geography Division. "Census Regions and Divisions of the United States" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  14. "The National Energy Modeling System: An Overview 2003" (Report #:DOE/EIA-0581, October 2009). United States Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration.
  15. "The most widely used regional definitions follow those of the U.S. Bureau of the Census." Seymour Sudman and Norman M. Bradburn, Asking Questions: A Practical Guide to Questionnaire Design (1982). Jossey-Bass: p. 205.
  16. "Perhaps the most widely used regional classification system is one developed by the U.S. Census Bureau." Dale M. Lewison, Retailing, Prentice Hall (1997): p. 384. ISBN 978-0-13-461427-4
  17. "(M)ost demographic and food consumption data are presented in this four-region format." Pamela Goyan Kittler, Kathryn P. Sucher, Food and Culture, Cengage Learning (2008): p. 475. ISBN 978-0495115410
  18. "Census Bureau Regions and Divisions with State FIPS Codes" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  19. Census Employee Handbook (PDF), April 2009, archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2012
  20. "72-Year Rule". www.census.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  21. Okamura, Raymond Y. (Fall–Winter 1981), "The Myth of Census Confidentiality", Amerasia Journal, UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, 8 (2): 111–120, doi:10.17953/amer.8.2.jk115283m54v4313, ISSN 0044-7471, archived from the original on July 1, 2012
  22. David Kopel (May 4, 1990), Census Confidentiality? The Check's in the Mail, Cato Institute
  23. JR Minkel (March 30, 2007), "Confirmed: The U.S. Census Bureau Gave Up Names of Japanese-Americans in WW II", Scientific American
  24. Haya El Nasser (March 30, 2007), "Papers show Census role in WWII camps", USA Today
  25. Nobles, Melissa (2000). Shades of Citizenship: Race and the Census in Modern Politics. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. ix. ISBN 9780804740135.
  26. Breiman, Leo (1994). "The 1991 Census Adjustment: Undercount or Bad Data?". Statist. Sci. 9 (4): 458–475. doi:10.1214/ss/1177010259.
  27. Anderson, Margo; Fienberg, Stephen (1999). Who Counts?: The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America. Russell Sage Foundation. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-61044-005-9. JSTOR 10.7758/9781610440059.
  28. Petersen, William (1987). "Politics and the Measurement of Ethnicity". In Alonso, William; Starr, Paul (eds.). The Politics of Numbers. Russell Sage Foundation. pp. 187–234. ISBN 978-1-61044-002-8.
  29. Ahmad, Farah; Hagler, Jamal (February 6, 2015). "Government collection of race and ethnicity data". Center for American Progress. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  30. "Memorials and Tributes: Robert W. Marx". American Association of Geographers Newsletter. Vol. 45 no. 3. p. 14.
  31. Ostenso, John (1991). "The Statistics Corner: More New Products from the Census Bureau". Business Economics. 26 (4): 62–64. JSTOR 23485837.
  32. "Accessing Census Data in 2019: The Transition to data.census.gov". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  33. "List of All Surveys". Census.gov. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  34. "NAMCS/NHAMCS – Ambulatory Health Care Data Homepage". www.cdc.gov. August 20, 2018.
  35. "NHDS – National Hospital Discharge Survey Homepage". www.cdc.gov. January 10, 2018.
  36. "NNHS – National Nursing Home Survey Homepage". www.cdc.gov. September 12, 2018.
  37. Directorate, US Census Bureau Economic. "US Census Bureau Business and Industry Main Page". www.census.gov.
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  40. www.census.gov/programs-surveys/fhwar.html (2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991)
  41. Bureau, US Census. "Residential Finance Survey (RFS)". www.census.gov.
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  43. Bureau, US Census. "Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS)". www.census.gov.
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  45. "Regional Offices".
  46. "A Restructuring of Census Bureau Regional Offices". U.S. Bureau of the Census. Archived from the original on June 11, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
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  56. Wade-Hahn ChanMar 28, 2008 (March 28, 2008). "Have feds cheapened contract bonuses?". FCW. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
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72-year rule
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