The
United States Census is a decennial
census mandated by the
United States Constitution. The
population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to
allocate
Congressional
seats (
congressional
apportionment),
electoral votes, and
government program funding. Some states or local jurisdictions also
conduct
local censuses.
The census is performed by the
United States Census Bureau. The
first census after the
American
Revolution was taken in
1790, under
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; there have been 21
federal censuses since that time. The
last national census was held in
2000 and the
next census
is scheduled for 2010. For years between the decennial censuses,
the Census Bureau issues estimates made using surveys and
statistical models.
Decennial U.S. Census figures are based on actual counts of persons
dwelling in U.S. residential structures. They include citizens,
non-citizen legal residents, non-citizen long-term visitors and
illegal immigrants. The Census
Bureau uses special procedures to ensure that those without
conventional housing are counted; however, data from these
operations are not considered as accurate as data obtained from
traditional procedures. The practice of including non-citizens in
the official census figures is controversial because the census is
used for the apportionment of seats in the
House of
Representatives, and derived from that, of electors to the
Electoral College.
The Census also employs the practice of hot deck
imputation to assign data to housing
units where occupation status is unknown. This practice has effects
across many areas, but is seen by some as controversial because it
may increase representation for reliably
Democratic districts.
However,
the practice was ruled constitutional by the U.S.
Supreme Court in Utah
v. Evans.
Groups like the
Prison Policy Initiative assert that the census
practice of counting prisoners as residents of prisons, not their
pre-incarceration addresses, leads to misleading information about
racial demographics and population numbers.
History of the U.S. Census
Censuses
had been taken prior to the Constitution's ratification; in the
early 1600s, a census was taken in Virginia
, and people
were counted in nearly all of the British colonies that became the
United
States
.
Through the years, the country's needs and interests became more
complex. This meant that statistics were needed to help people
understand what was happening and have a basis for planning. The
content of the decennial census changed accordingly. In
1810, the first inquiry on
manufactures, quantity and value of products occurred; in
1840, inquiries on fisheries were
added; and in
1850, the
census included inquiries on social issues, such as taxation,
churches, pauperism, and crime. The censuses also spread
geographically, to new states and territories added to the Union,
as well as to other areas under U.S. sovereignty or jurisdiction.
There were so many more inquiries of all kinds in the census of
1880 that almost a full
decade was needed to publish all the results. In response to this,
the census was mechanised in 1890, with
tabulating machines made by
Herman Hollerith. This reduced the
processing time to two and a half years.
For the first six censuses (
1790-
1840) enumerators recorded only
the names of the heads of household and a general demographic
accounting of the remaining members of the household. Beginning in
1850, all members of the
household were named on the census. The first slave schedules were
also completed in 1850, with the second (and last) in
1860. Censuses of the late 19th
century also included agricultural and industrial schedules to
gauge the productivity of the nation's economy. Mortality schedules
(taken between 1850 and
1880) captured a snapshot of life
spans and causes of death throughout the country.
The first nine censuses (
1790-
1870) were not managed by the
Executive
branch, but by the
Judicial
branch. The United States federal court districts assigned U.S.
marshals, who hired assistant marshals to conduct the actual
enumeration.
First Census of the United States (1790)
The
first Census was taken
August 2, 1790.
The federal census records for the first
census are missing for five states: Delaware
, Georgia
, Kentucky
, New Jersey
and Virginia. They
were destroyed some time between the time of the census-taking and
1830. The census estimated the population of the United States at
3,929,214.
Second Census of the United States (1800)
The
second Census was
taken August 4, 1800.
Third Census of the United States (1810)
The
third Census was taken
August 6, 1810.
Fourth Census of the United States (1820)
The
fourth Census was
taken August 7, 1820.
Fifth Census of the United States (1830)
The
fifth Census was taken
June 1, 1830.
Sixth Census of the United States (1840)
The
sixth Census was taken
June 1, 1840. The census estimated the population of the United
States at 17,100,000. The results were tabulated by 28 clerks in
the Bureau of the Census.
Seventh Census of the United States (1850)
The
seventh Census was
taken June 1, 1850. The 1850 census was a landmark year in American
census-taking. It was the first year in which the census bureau
attempted to record every member of every household, including
women, children and slaves. Accordingly, the first slave schedules
were produced in 1850. Prior to 1850, census records had only
recorded the name of the head of the household and tabulated the
other household members within given age groups.
Eighth Census of the United States (1860)
The
eighth Census
estimated the population of the United States at 31,400,000. The
results were tabulated by 184 clerks in the Bureau of the
Census.
This was the first census where the American Indians officially
were counted, but only those who had 'renounced tribal rules'. The
figure for the nation was 40,000.
Ninth Census of the United States (1870)
The
ninth Census was taken
June 1, 1870.
Tenth Census of the United States (1880)
The
tenth Census estimated
the population of the United States at 50,189,209. This was the
first census that permitted women to be enumerators.
Eleventh Census of the United States (1890)
The
eleventh Census was
taken June 2, 1890 because June 1 was a Sunday. Because it was
believed that the frontier region of the United States no longer
existed, the tracking of westward migration was not tabulated in
the 1890 census. This trend prompted
Frederick Jackson Turner to develop
his milestone
Frontier Thesis.
The 1890 census was the first to be compiled on a
tabulating machine, developed by
Herman Hollerith. The introduction of this
technology reduced the time taken to tabulate the census from seven
years for the 1880 census to two and a half years for the 1890
census. The total population of 62,622,250 was announced after only
six weeks of processing. Ironically, the public reaction to this
tabulation was disbelief, as it was widely believed that the "right
answer" was at least 75,000,000.
This census is also notable for the fact it is one of only three
for which the original data are no longer available. Almost all the
population schedules were destroyed following a fire in 1921.
Twelfth Census of the United States (1900)
The
twelfth Census was
taken June 1, 1900.
Thirteenth Census of the United States (1910)
The
thirteenth Census was
taken on April 15, 1910.
Fourteenth Census of the United States (1920)
The
fourteenth Census
estimated the population of the United States at 106,021,537. This
was the first census that recorded a population exceeding 100
million.
Fifteenth Census of the United States (1930)
The
fifteenth Census was
taken on April 2, 1930, except in
Alaska Territory, where census-taking began
October 1, 1929.
Sixteenth Census of the United States (1940)
The
sixteenth Census was
taken on April 1, 1940. Because of a
72-year privacy law, this
census will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2012.
Seventeenth Census of the United States (1950)
The
seventeenth Census was
taken on April 1, 1950. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this
census will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2022.
Eighteenth Census of the United States (1960)
The
eighteenth Census was
taken on April 1, 1960. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this
census will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2032.
Nineteenth Census of the United States (1970)
The
nineteenth Census was
taken on April 1, 1970. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this
census will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2042.
Twentieth Census of the United States (1980)
The
twentieth Census was
taken on April 1, 1980. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this
census will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2052.
Twenty-first Census of the United States (1990)
The
21st Census was taken
on April 1, 1990. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this census
will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2062.
Twenty-second Census of the United States (2000)
The
22nd Census was taken
on April 1, 2000. Because of a 72-year privacy law, this census
will not be available for public inspection until April 1,
2072.
Twenty-third Census of the United States (2010)
The
23rd Census is planned
to take place on April 1, 2010. Because of a 72-year privacy law,
this census will not be available for public inspection until April
1, 2082.
Respondent confidentiality
The sole purpose of the censuses and surveys is to secure general
statistical information. Replies are obtained from individuals and
establishments only to enable the compilation of such general
statistics. The confidentiality of these replies is very important.
By law, no one neither the census takers nor any other Census
Bureau employee is permitted to reveal identifiable information
about any person, household, or business. Without such protections,
those living illegally in the United States or hiding from the
government would be deterred from submitting census data.
Historical FBI use of census data
As with any large collection of personal data that can be traced
back to individuals, the potential for abuse of census data
exists.
Under the
Roosevelt administration
the FBI
, using
primarily census records, compiled (1939–1941) the Custodial Detention Index ("CDI")
on citizens, enemy aliens, and foreign nationals, who might be
dangerous. This information facilitated the internment of
Japanese-Americans, following the Japanese
attack on the
U.S. at Pearl Harbor
on December 6, 1941 and the United States's entry into World War
II.
Under the
Carter administration FBI
agents went (1980) to the Census Bureau's Colorado
Springs
office with warrants
to seize Census documents, but were forced to leave with
nothing. Courts upheld that no agency, including the FBI,
has access to Census data.
Data analysis
Census data and questionnaires
The census records and data specific to individual respondents are
not available to the public until 72 years after a given census was
taken, but aggregate statistical data derived from the census are
released as soon as they are available.
Every census up to and
including 1930 is
currently available to the public and can be viewed on microfilm released by the National Archives and Records
Administration
, the official keeper of archived federal census
records. Complete online census records can be accessed for
no cost from National Archives facilities and many libraries and a
growing portion of the census is freely available from
non-commercial online sources.
Census
microdata for
research purposes are available for censuses from
1850 forward through the
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (
IPUMS), and scanned copies of each of the decennial
census questionnaires are available online from many websites.
Computerized
aggregate data
describing the characteristics of small geographic areas for the
entire period from
1790 to
2000 are available from
the
National
Historical Geographic Information System.
Regions and divisions
US Census Bureau Population Regions
The bureau recognizes four census
regions,
within the United States and further organizes them into nine
divisions. These regions are groupings of states that subdivide the
United States for the presentation of data. They should not be
construed as necessarily being thus grouped owing to any
geographical, historical, or cultural bonds.
Quantitative state rankings
In the last decade, the Census Bureau has begun to rank the states
of the Union in qualitative terms based on their quantitative
figures, so that people could more easily understand the changing
dynamics of the country. The goal of this effort was to stir up
national pride and understanding along with governmental
participation at the state and federal level.
See also
Notes
- Constitution
of the United States, Article 1, Section 2: "The actual
Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first
Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every
subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law
direct."
- http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/impact.html
- Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray, "Computer a History
of the Information Machine - Second Edition", Westview Press, pages
14-19 2004
- http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch
- http://www.usgwcensus.org/
- http://www.us-census.org/
References
- Anderson, Margo J. "Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census".
Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2000. ISBN 1-56802-428-2.
- Campbell-Kelly, Martin, and Aspray, William. Computer: A
History of the Information Machine. New York: Basic Books,
1996. ISBN 0-465-02990-6.
- Kruger, Stephen, "The Decennial Census", 19 Western State Law
Review 1 (1981).
- Lavin, Michael R. "Understanding the Census: A Guide for
Marketers, Planners, Grant Writers, and Other Data Users". Kenmore,
N.Y. : Epoch Books, 1996. ISBN 0-89774-995-2.
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