Why Do We Have A Decennial Census?

It's been ten years since we last had one, so many people have questions about the purpose and use of the United States Census

. The U.S. Census is required by law and provides the government demographic and economic information about the population--information that is used to determine congressional representation and government program funding.

The Constitution of the United States of America (Article I, section II) mandates that the population be enumerated every ten years. Accordingly, the United States Census Bureau conducts a full population count each decade in years ending with a zero (1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, etc.). Thus, the census is called "decennial."

The results of the census are used primarily to allocate congressional seats and determine the number of congressional districts in each state. A congressional district is an electoral constituency that elects one member of congress. There are 435 congressional districts in the House of Representatives; each one represents approximately 600,000 people. The census therefore determines the number of members each state may have in the House of Representatives as well as the Electoral College.

The census makes an actual count of persons living in residential structures in the United States based on the principle of usual residence--where a person lives and sleeps most of the time. While the Census Bureau strives to count people who do not live in conventional housing, the data is, for obvious reasons, not as accurate. The people counted in the census include citizens, non-citizen long-term visitors, non-citizen legal residents, and illegal immigrants. The inclusion of non-citizens in the official census has led to controversy, especially since the numbers are used to determine the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and votes in the Electoral College.

Census data is also used to determine the allocation of billions of dollars in federal and state funds. This money goes to public health, education, neighborhood improvements, transportation, and other programs and developments. Between decennial censuses, the Census Bureau makes estimates about the population using surveys and statistics. Some of these surveys deal with demographic issues of employment rates, crime levels, consumer spending, health, and housing. Others are more economic in nature, gathering data about retail, service industries, manufacturing, and other organizations and establishments.

Clearly, then, the United States Census is an important tool for our government. The Census Bureau will submit the population totals to the President by the end of the year, and next spring the results will be publicly announced.

by: Art Gib

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