Modernizing the U.S. census / Barry Edmonston and Charles Schultze, editors ; Panel on Census Requirements in the Year 2000 and Beyond, Committee on National Statistics, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Edmonston, Barry.

Schultze, Charles L.

National Research Council (U.S.). Panel on Census Requirements in the Year 2000 and Beyond.

United States. Bureau of the Census.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Bureau of the Census.

United States.

United States--Census--Planning.

United States--Census--Methodology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (480 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1995.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The U.S. census, conducted every 10 years since 1790, faces dramatic new challenges as the country begins its third century. Critics of the 1990 census cited problems of increasingly high costs, continued racial differences in counting the population, and declining public confidence. This volume provides a major review of the traditional U.S. census. Starting from the most basic questions of how data are used and whether they are needed, the volume examines the data that future censuses should provide. It evaluates several radical proposals that have been made for changing the census, as well as other proposals for redesigning the year 2000 census. The book also considers in detail the much-criticized long form, the role of race and ethnic data, and the need for and ways to obtain small-area data between censuses.

Contents:

Modernizing the U.S. Census

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Contents

Preface

Summary

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

A REDESIGNED CENSUS

Statistical Estimation

Improving Response

Reducing Costs

Support for the New Design

CENSUS CONTENT AND THE LONG FORM

DATA ON RACE AND ETHNICITY

SOME RADICAL ALTERNATIVES TO THE CENSUS

A National Register

An Administrative Records Census

A Census Conducted by the U.S. Postal Service

A Sample or Rolling Census

INTERCENSAL SMALL-AREA DATA

1 The Role of the Census

OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT

THE NEED FOR CENSUS DATA

Data Needs for Reapportionment and Redistricting

Other Data Needs

Federal Agency Needs for Census Data

Needs of Other Data Users

Conclusion About Data Needs

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING APPROACHES TO THE CENSUS

NOTES

2 Population Coverage and Its Implications

COVERAGE ESTIMATES

Coverage Errors

Undercount by Subgroups

Errors in Small-Area Data

IMPLICATIONS OF UNDERENUMERATION

Effects on Congressional Apportionment

Effects on Distribution of Federal Funds

3 Census Cost Increases and Their Causes

GENERAL FACTORS

SPECIFIC FACTORS AND MARGINAL COSTS

Census Content

Changes in Population and Housing

Mail Response Rates

Other Factors

Census Cost Changes

Census Staff Productivity

SUMMARY

4 Radical Alternatives

A NATIONAL REGISTER FOR THE BASIC CENSUS

AN ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS CENSUS

A CENSUS CONDUCTED BY THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

A ROLLING OR SAMPLE CENSUS

5 A Redesigned Census

TWO APPROACHES TO COUNTING THE POPULATION

Census Bureau Plans

Legal Issues of Statistical Estimation

BASIC ELEMENTS OF A NEW CENSUS DESIGN

Decreasing the Intensity of Nonresponse Follow-Up

Sampling for Nonresponse Follow-Up.

Truncation of Enumeration After a Reasonable Effort

Alternative Techniques of Truncation

What Determines a Reasonable Effort

Survey-Based Methods to Complete the Count

ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO IMPROVE ACCURACY AND REDUCE COSTS

Improve Response Rates

A Simplified Questionnaire Design

Respondent-Friendly Long Forms and the Use of Appeals

Partnerships with State and Local Governments

Partnership with the U.S. Postal Service

Current Role

Expanded Role

A REENGINEERED CENSUS

BUILDING PUBLIC SUPPORT

6 Census Content

THE PROCESS FOR DETERMINING CENSUS CONTENT

THE LONG FORM

Costs

Mail Return Rates

Effects in 1980 and 1990

Experiments to Improve Response

Conclusions

Coverage

Matrix Sampling

CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT

Cost Savings from Dropping the Long Form

Continuous Measurement Cost Estimates

Missing Cost Data

Other Cost Savings

Data Quality

Conceptual Issues with Cumulated Data

Relation to Other Household Surveys

Alternative Ways to Provide Small-Area Data

CONCLUSIONS: CONTENT IN THE 2000 CENSUS

7 Data on Race and Ethnicity

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

CURRENT REQUIREMENTS

FUTURE REQUIREMENTS

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

8 Intercensal Small-Area Data

NEEDS FOR SMALL-AREA DATA

Timeliness

Past Attempts to Produce Intercensal Small-Area Data

ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT METHODS

Mid-Decade Censuses

New and Special Surveys

Augmenting Existing Surveys

Model-Based Estimates

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS

A GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE SYSTEM AND UPDATED ADDRESS FILE

INTERAGENCY DATA SHARING

CONCLUSION

References

Appendices

APPENDIX A Basic Information on Census Questionnaires

SHORT-FORM AND LONG-FORM QUESTIONNAIRE CONTENT

QUESTIONNAIRE RECEIPT AND RESPONSE

NOTE.

REFERENCE

APPENDIX B The Census Process

DEVELOPMENT OF MAILING LIST (MASTER ADDRESS CONTROL FILE)

1988

1989

1990

COLLECTING THE DATA

FIELD OPERATIONS (OPENING OF OFFICES)

1990 FIELD OPERATION-FOLLOW-UP

Mail Return

Nonresponse Follow-Up

Field Follow-Up

OTHER COVERAGE IMPROVEMENTS

LOCAL REVIEW

POST-ENUMERATION SURVEY

REFERENCES

APPENDIX C Data Requirements for Reapportionment and Redistricting

REAPPORTIONMENT

The Role of Sampling

Role of Administrative Records

REDISTRICTING ON THE BASIS OF TOTAL POPULATION

Legal Foundations

Census Data for Redistricting

Required Level of Geographic Detail

Role of Sampling and Administrative Records

REDISTRICTING ON THE BASIS OF RACIAL OR ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Legal History

Role of the Census

APPENDIX D Research Uses of Census Data

RESEARCH VALUE

Forms of Census Data

Advantages of PUMS Files

Examples of Research

Aging of the Population

Race Relations

Education

Concentrated Poverty

Global Change

DEVELOPMENT OF CENSUS MICRODATA FILES

Development of PUMS Files

Development of Summary Tape Files

Historical Census Files

ACCESS TO CENSUS DATA

Role of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research

Underutilization

Online Access

APPENDIX E State and Local Needs for Census Data

USES OF CENSUS DATA: AN OVERVIEW

CENSUS DATA CATEGORIES

General Demographic Data

Race, Hispanic Origin, and Ancestry

Immigration: Citizenship, Year of Entry, and Language

Labor Force and Occupation

Education: School Enrollment and Highest Grade Completed

Disability

Transportation

Income and Poverty

Housing

USES OF CENSUS DATA

Uses of Census Data for State and Federal Legislative Requirements.

Uses of Census Data for State and Federal Grants Applications

Uses of Census Data for Public Health and Social Service Programs

Uses of Census Data for Community Planning and Development

School Districts

Law Enforcement

Library Services

Emergency Planning

Uses of Census Data for Environmental Planning

Economic Uses of Census Data: Employment, Labor Force, and Economic Development Analyses

SMALL-AREA DATA NEEDS FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY DETAILED DATA

CONCLUSIONS

APPENDIX F Business Uses of Census Data

RETAIL AND RESTAURANT

BANKS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

MEDIA AND ADVERTISING

INSURANCE COMPANIES

UTILITY COMPANIES

HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

OTHER USERS

APPENDIX G Use of Decennial Census Data in Transportation Planning

HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION QUESTIONS IN THE CENSUS

THE 1990 CENSUS

THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PACKAGE (UTTP)

Use of the 1980 UTPP Data-A Case Study

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CENSUS AND TRAVEL SURVEY DATA

Journey-to-Work Adjustments

Problems Inherent in Census Data

Positive Aspects of Census Data

USE OF DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA BY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AGENCIES

RELATIONSHIP OF CENSUS DATA TO LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act Legislative Requirements

Comprehensive Planning Provisions

Transportation Improvement Program: Project Selection

Traffic Congestion Management

Corridor Preservation

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 Legislative Requirements

Other Legislative Requirements

STATE AND LOCAL USES

COST AND FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING CENSUS TRANSPORTATION DATA

NOTE

APPENDIX H Census Data Needs for Housing and Urban Development

FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND CENSUS DATA REQUIREMENTS

Small-Area Geographic Detail

Census Content.

Population Counts

Labor Market Information

Mobility, Health, Ethnicity, and Language

Homeless Population

PROGRAM USES OF CENSUS DATA

Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategies

Housing Policy Development

Analysis, Development, and Evaluation of Urban Policy Initiatives

Urban Poverty, Need, and Economic Trends

Housing and Neighborhoods

Urban Programs

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF CENSUS DATA

PRIORITIES FOR HOUSING DATA

Data From Future Censuses

Improving Data on the Condition of Housing Structures

Outdated and Too Little Data

Additional Decennial Census Questions

Data for Small Areas

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT COLLECTING CENSUS DATA

APPENDIX I Alternative Ways to Produce Intercensal Small-Area Data

QUALIFIED MILITARY POPULATION

EMPLOYMENT ESTIMATES

State Estimates

Substate Estimates

INCOME AND POVERTY

Income

Methodology

Estimation Models

Time Frame

Poverty

MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKERS

Limitations of Census Data

A National Sample Survey

APPENDIX J Content and Quality of Federal and State Administrative Records

FEDERAL FILES

STATE FILES

APPENDIX K Quality of Current Data on Race and Ethnicity

REQUIREMENTS FOR RACE AND ETHNICITY DATA SINCE 1970

COLLECTION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY DATA IN THE CENSUS

ALLOCATION RATES

MEASURES OF INCONSISTENCY

LIMITATIONS OF THE RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN QUESTIONS

LIMITATIONS OF THE ANCESTRY QUESTION

STRENGTHS OF THE RACE AND ANCESTRY QUESTIONS

APPENDIX L Allocation Rates

ALLOCATION RATES FOR SHORT-FORM POPULATION ITEMS BY FORM TYPE

ALLOCATION RATES ON LONG FORMS BY RESPONSE TYPE

ALLOCATION RATES ON LONG FORMS BY RACE AND GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCE

REFERENCE

NOTES.

APPENDIX M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies.

Notes:

Panel chairman: Charles L. Schultze.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610193233

9780309176736

0309176735

9781280193231

1280193239

9780309538398

0309538394

9780585032481

0585032483

OCLC:

923266593