Are you excited for the 2010 Census?  Probably not as excited as the Census Bureau would like you to be.  This weekend, representatives from the Bureau were at the annual conference for Investigative Reporters and Editors, held in Baltimore, Maryland.  We were also there, and managed to get copies of everything the Census Bureau was handing out to promote and inform people about the 2010 Census.  With Obama in the White House, there are going to be some big changes in the Census in the upcoming year.  The most significant change is that for the first time ever, the White House will now be overseeing the Census.  At the moment, no one knows exactly how much involvement the White House will have (the two Census Bureau representatives we spoke to apparently don't know either), but it will certainly be interesting.

One of the most problematic changes is how data will be collected and utilized.  In the past, the government has used Census data for many things including determining federal programs and procedures, grant justifications, eligibility claims, and policy analysis, but that is going to change in 2010.  Instead of relying solely on the Census, the government and all federal agencies will use data collected by the American Community Survey.  The survey will be conducted every year, and from now on, "agencies will rely on ACS data to carry out [their] functions."  The survey (see a copy here) is similar to the long forms from previous Census years.  These forms asked about housing, facilities, finances, ancestry, and other topics.  ACS incorporates all of these questions and includes several new sections that will ask about health insurance, marital history, and VA disability ratings.

In another big change, the ACS survey will be conducted every year, instead of every decade.  The Census Bureau hopes that this change will make their data more reliable and accurate, but don't get excited yet.  It's hard to have a great vote of confidence when controversial organizations like ACORN are helping to recruit workers for the Census and the ACS survey.  Even more troubling is the fact that new data will be collected every year, but only in areas with more than 65,000 people.  According to the Census Bureau, "the vast majority of areas will receive only 5-year estimates."  This system may offer advantages to people living in highly populated urban areas receiving federal resources, but unfortunately it means that most Americans will receive less representation, and therefore less federal grants, funding, and ultimately, fewer favorable policies. 

Below are documents from Census Bureau representatives, including a handbook on how to use Census data and a summary of 2009 statistical data.

Census Information

Statistical Abstract of the U.S., 2009