4 Responses to “What Is The Appropriate Level Of Census Participation?”

1. Jamie Holts
   March 5th, 2010 @ 9:05 am

   I discovered your homepage by coincidence.
   Very interesting posts and well written.
   I will put your site on my blogroll.
   

2. rufus13
   March 5th, 2010 @ 3:25 pm

   I was an Enumerator for the 1990 Census in Washington State.

   There is only one question that is “required” by the US Constitution and that is Question #1 “How many people live at this address?”.

   All others are optional. Say no, then tell the enumerator to tell their supervisor to please visit and bring a copy of legal authority.

   My supervisor told me that the forms had to be completely filled out, and that “guessing” or “estimating” answers was the best way to get the job done. He said that we ought to look at the structure, yard, and cars and estimate based on our personal experience.

   Betcha that makes for some deluxe-quality data.

   Did this contribute to the foolish behavior of the US Gov during the next 15 years? Maybe.

   Cheers.

3. JeffS
   March 5th, 2010 @ 6:42 pm

   According the Census Bureau’s “Question and Answer Center”, the answer to “Do I have to respond to the 2010 Census?” is:

   Yes, your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law– Title 13 of the United States Code requires your response. Title 13 also requires that the Census Bureau keep respondents’ answers confidential and use them only for tabulations that do not reveal any personal data about individuals or households. By being counted, you help ensure that your community receives its fair share of political representation and government funding. The census form will only take about 10 minutes to complete.

   But when I check Title 13 for the relevant authority, Chapter 7, subchapter II, section 221 pops up:

   (a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.

   (b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.

   (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.

   $100 for not answering, $500 for false answers, freedom of religion is still there. Sweet.

   But I am curious: how will they check for false answers if they have to keep personal data out of the tabulations……with a population of over 300,000,000? Random checks? Cross referencing other databases before tabulating? Doesn’t sound very reliable.

   And paying $100 for the privilege of telling the White House to shove it sounds….cheap.

4. Loose Ends - Dr. Evil Edition | The Lonely Conservative
   March 5th, 2010 @ 10:15 pm

   [...] US Census will be asking? Some had some questions for them, but they refused to answer. Check out Smitty’s post at The Other McCain and watch the video. It’s [...]

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