The 2010 Census questionnaires began arriving in the mail Monday, commencing the once-a-decade struggle of getting Americans to stand up and tell us a little about themselves.
Census officials hope most of us will take 10 minutes to fill out the form and mail it back, thus participating in America’s largest civic event.
They know from experience, however, that nearly 30 percent of households will ignore the census or refuse to answer its questions. Reasons vary, but experts say suspicion and fear are at the root of census aversion.
Maybe a couple immigrated to the United States illegally and is afraid of making themselves known to the government. Or a family, down on its luck, moved in with friends or relatives and more people are living in the home than the lease or local ordinance allows.
Some people oppose the census on constitutional grounds, saying it seeks more information than the government has a right to know.
So why do we have a census, must we cooperate, and what does the census bureau do with the information? We asked the experts and condensed their answers.
What is the census and why do we have it? The census is a count of everyone living in the United States. The U.S. Constitution requires it be conducted every 10 years, in part, to determine state populations, to distribute tax monies and to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
How is the census done? A questionnaire is mailed to each of the nation’s 120 million households. In 2000, 73 percent of them were returned. The forms should arrive this week. If you don’t respond by April 1, you’ll be mailed another one. If you still don’t respond, you can expect a visit from a census-taker.
Do I have to participate? By federal law, you’re required to cooperate with the census. Anyone refusing or neglecting to fill out the census questionnaire can be fined up to $5,000. But don’t expect to find a federal agent at the door.
“I don’t know of any cases that have been taken to court,” said demographer David Swanson, a census expert at the University of California, Riverside.
The census bureau would rather appeal to our sense of civic duty, he said. The census helps to determine how much federal money comes back to a community, so each uncounted person is costly — about $1,400 a year — to one’s hometown. Meanwhile, people who don’t respond cost the nation millions by forcing census takers to visit their home in person.
Why do they ask so many questions? Actually, with only 10 questions, the 2010 questionnaire is one of the shortest in history, notes Roberta Garber, director of Community Research Partners in Columbus. The census bureau did away with the long form, which plumbed for detailed socio-economic data, and replaced it with an annual survey.
But even the short form reaches beyond a population count — “What is Person 1’s race?”– raising arguments that date to the first census in 1790. Should the decennial census simply count people, or should it gather information that reflects a changing nation?
“That’s been debated since the very beginning,” Swanson said. “There’s probably more of a pull toward getting more information.”
Are my answers private? Yes. By federal law, the census bureau cannot share personal or identifying information with anyone — even other federal agencies — for 72 years. The census bureau takes that prohibition seriously. Most famously, Swanson said, it resisted pressure from the Nixon administration to help it glean information on its enemies.
What if I didn’t get a questionnaire, or I have a question about filling it out? Questionnaire assistance centers, where people can get help filling out their forms or get a new one, will soon be opening around the region. To find the center nearest you, call the national census jobline, at 1-866-861-2010 ext. 0. Type in your ZIP code and you will be given the phone number of the nearest census office. You can also find local assistance centers through the Census 2010 Web site, 2010.census.gov. Story from the Plain Dealer
