DISCLAIMER
Census 2020: What State and Local governments need to KnowIntroductionHistoryThe decennial census has been conducted in years ending in "0" since 1790, as required by the U.S. Constitution. Article I, Section 2 states that: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers . . . 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." More information on the history of decennial censusImportance for state and local governmentsAn accurate decennial census is important for state and local governments. These bullets are some of the most important reasons why:
This websiteThe U.S. Census Bureau is responsible for organizing the decennial census. It's mantra is to "Count everybody once, only once and in the right place". Added to that is a directive by Congress: do it at the lowest cost possible. Planning a Census is huge undertaking and the process is divided in more manageable operations. In a number of these operations the Census Bureau depends on participation of State and Local governments as that is where local knowledge is which can inform these operations. This web site attempts to highlight the operations where local involvement is important. The site is organized by several phases of the census:
Last modified: February 2, 2018 |