The
United States Census Bureau (officially
Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is the
government agency that is responsible for the
United States Census. It also gathers
other national demographic and
economic
data.
As part of the United States
Department of Commerce
, the Census Bureau serves as a leading source of
data about America's people and economy.
The most visible role of the Census Bureau is to perform the
official decennial (every 10 year) count of people living in the
USA. One core result is to decide the number of seats each state is
allowed in the House of Representatives. The agency director is a
political appointee selected by the President of the United
States.
Legal mandate
The
Constitution of
the United States (Article I, section II) directs that 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 0 (zero) and uses
the term "decennial" to describe the operation. Between censuses,
the Census Bureau makes population estimates and projections. In
addition, Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion
per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities
for neighborhood improvements,
public
health, education, transportation and much more. 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. In addition, 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.
From 1790 to 1840, the census was taken by marshals of the judicial
districts. The Census Act of 1840 established a central office
which became known as the Census Office. Several acts followed
revising and authorizing new censuses, typically around 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 the Interior. The
department was intended to consolidate overlapping statistical
agencies, but Census Bureau officials were hindered by their
subordinate role in the department. An act around 1920 changed the
date and authorized manufacturing censuses every 2 years and
agriculture censuses every 10 years. In 1929, a bill was passed
mandating that the House of Representatives be reapportioned based
on the results of the 1930 census. In 1954, various acts were
codified into Title 13 of the US Code.
By law the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state
population totals to the U.S. President by December 31, 2010.
States within the Union would then receive the results the spring
of the following year.
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 USA,
- plan transportation systems and roadways,
- determine quotas and creation of police and fire
precincts,
- create localized areas for elections, schools, utilities,
etc.
Businesses
Business also has many uses for census data, as listed;
- forecast future product demand,
- determine site locations for expansion/new business,
- determine future need for nursing homes, day care centers,
hospitals, etc,
- clarify if they are employing a representative workforce.
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 a sworn
affidavit of
non-disclosure prior to employment.
The Census Bureau can not 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," says
Arnold Jackson, chief operating officer for the US Census. "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 Nations
people and economy." Only after 72 years does the information
collected become available to other agencies or the general
public.
Organizational structure
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. In April 2009,
President
Barack Obama nominated
Robert M. Groves to head the Census
Bureau.
The Census
Bureau has been headquartered in Suitland
, Maryland
since
1942. A new headquarters complex was completed in 2007 and
supports over 4,000 employees.
The Bureau also operates regional offices in
12 cities: Boston
, New York City
, Philadelphia
, Detroit
, Chicago
, Kansas
City
, Seattle
, Charlotte
, Atlanta
, Dallas
, Denver
, and
Los
Angeles
. The National Processing Center is located in
Jeffersonville
, Indiana
.
Additional temporary processing facilities are used to facilitate
the decennial census, which employs more than a million persons.
The cost of the 2000 decennial census was
US$4.5 billion. During the years just
prior to the decennial census, parallel Census offices, known as
"Regional Census Centers" are opened in the 12 field office cities.
The decennial operations are carried out expressly from these
facilities. The Regional Census Centers will oversee the openings
and closings of smaller "Local Census Offices" within their
collection jurisdictions.
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.
Census regions and divisions
The United States Census Bureau has four official regions, with
nine official divisions.
Official US Census Bureau Regions and
Divisions
The Census Bureau and computers
The
1890 census was the
first to use the electric tabulating machines invented by
Herman Hollerith. For 1890-1940 details, see .
In 1946, knowing of the Bureau's funding of Hollerith and, later,
Powers,
John Mauchly approached the Bureau about early
funding for
UNIVAC development. A
UNIVAC I computer was accepted by the Bureau in
1951.
In order to reduce paper usage and reduce payroll expenses, 500,000
handheld computers (HHC's) were used for the first time in
2009 during the address canvassing portion of the 2010
Dicentennial Census Project. Projected savings are over $1 Billion
dollars. The further implementation of advanced computer systems in
the planning for the 2020 Census provide major challenges for an
upgrade in the technological broadening of Census protocol.
Prison counts
Organizations such as the
Prison Policy Initiative argue that
Census counts of incarcerated men and women as residents of
prisons, rather than of their pre-incarceration addresses, skew
political clout and result in misleading demographic and population
data.
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 of the
Census is continually conducting surveys to produce a general view
and comprehensive study of the United States' social and economic
conditions.
Staff from the Current Surveys Program conduct ongoing and special
surveys about people and their characteristics. 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 in between decades.
Other surveys conducted by the Census Bureau
The Census Bureau collects information in many other surveys and
provides the data to the survey sponsor for release. These sponsors
include:
See also
Notes
References
External links