But probably the most important reason to have a census has to do with the United States being a democracy. A democracy is when government is placed in the hands of the people, either directly or through elected representatives. The census count tells a state how many people it can send to represent it in Congress. Congress includes both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Every state sends two people to the Senate. But the House of Representatives is different. The number of people a state sends to the House is based on that state's population. According to the 2000 Census, the state with the smallest population is Wyoming, while the state with the largest population is California. Wyoming can send only one person to the House, but California can send 53 people to the House of Representatives.

The people your parents elect to Congress help create the laws of the land. They also have influence over the powers of the President of the United States. You can see why it's important to be counted. Democracy puts a lot of power in the hands of the people!

[ Previous Page ][ Next Page ]