Census Planning

Census Planning

Census: Planning the Census

Note: See Census Conducting.
Census agencies must begin planning for a census years in advance. One of the most important tasks is to determine what questions will appear on the census questionnaire. Census agencies usually undertake a lengthy public review process to determine the questions to be asked. They conduct public meetings, consider letters and requests from the general public, and consult with other government agencies and special advisory committees. In the United States, census questions must be approved by Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. In Canada, questions must be approved by the governor-general on the recommendations of the Cabinet.

The questions included on census forms vary from nation to nation depending on the country’s particular political and social history and current conditions. Most censuses request basic demographic information, such as the person’s name, age, sex, educational background, occupation, and marital status. Many censuses also include questions about a person’s race, ethnic or national origin, and religion. Further questions may ask the person’s place of birth; relationship to the head of the household; citizenship status; the individual’s or the family’s income; the type of dwelling the household occupies; and the language spoken in the household.

Questions that are routine in one nation may be seen as quite controversial in another, depending on the history of the country. The United States census does not ask about religious affiliation because such a question is considered a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of religion or an invasion of privacy. Other nations, such as India, do collect such information. Questions on the number of children born to a woman were quite controversial in China in recent years because of government efforts to limit families to having only one child. In the United States, asking a question on income was considered controversial in 1940 when it was first asked. It is no longer considered as objectionable. Questions change in response to public debate about the state of society. For example, Americans wanted to know which households had radios in 1930, and the census introduced questions on housing quality in 1940. Canadians have recently begun to ask census questions on disability status and on the unpaid work done in the home.

Besides determining the content of the census, census agencies must make many other preparations. Staffing is a major concern for census agencies because censuses in most countries require a huge number of temporary workers to collect and process data. Consequently, census agencies must begin recruiting and training workers months or years in advance. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau had to fill 850,000 temporary, short-term positions to conduct the 2000 census. In order to hire and retain enough staff, it had to recruit nearly 3 million job applicants. The majority of temporary workers are hired to go door-to-door to interview households that do not respond to the census questionnaire. In some countries, government employees at a local level, such as schoolteachers, are asked to help conduct the count.

Prior to any census, a census agency must develop an accurate list of addresses and maps to ensure that everyone is counted. The U.S. Census Bureau obtains addresses primarily from the United States Postal Service and from previous census address lists. It also works closely with state, local, and tribal governments to compile accurate lists. Finally, census agencies often conduct an extensive marketing campaign before Census Day to remind the general population about the importance of responding to the census. This campaign may involve paid advertising, distributing materials by direct mail, promotional events, and encouraging media coverage of the census. (1)

Census

Resources

Notes and References

  1. Encarta Online Encyclopedia

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