For a long time, there were two types of Censuses available: long form or short form. Short form consisted of basic questions of how many people lived in a domicile and their race and phone number, things like that. The long form Census contained all the questions from the short form, and then extra ones about the person’s socioeconomic status and topics like a little more thorough. The short form was sent to around five out of six households in the U.S., and the long form was sent to the remaining one out of six. But as of 2010, there has only been a short form Census, in an effort to simplify the process, and it looks as if 2020 will continue that trend.
But no matter how effective their self-report efforts are, there is always going to be people who choose not to fill out the form, or just forget. In that case, the Census Bureau calls the residence on the phone or visits in person; either way, they’re going to get your information. The Census actually hires people specifically for this purpose, a lot of people actually, and Ponte Vedra students can even apply if they want. You can be a census taker, the person who walks around knocking on doors, or you could also apply for recruiting assistants, office staff, and supervisory staff. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and be a U.S. citizen.
Some sample questions from the Census are: how many people were living or staying in the apartment, house, or mobile home as of some date, what is your telephone number, what is your race, etc.
With this huge project, the information collected from the largest peace-time mobilization the Federal government will endure for ten years, the amount of money and potential growth on the line, getting it right has to be a top priority, but some major problems could still arise. A divisive political climate and, for the first time, the onset of technology to assist in Census taking could very well damage the integrity of the process, particularly with the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives. The Census Bureau has been planning this since 2013, but still, relying on technology, especially when that technology is to be used by thousands of part-time Census takers, the possibility of error is outstanding. Either way, the Census is necessary for so many vital operations the Government participates in, so despite the headaches it causes, participation is necessary, unless you want to get fined. Census day is Apr. 1, 2020.
Great article, Amelia!
W article very informative and well written.
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Great article! What a talented artist depicted beautifully by a wonderful journalist!