Prepared Statement OF
Charles Louis Kincannon
Director
“Halfway to the 2010 Census: The Countdown and Components to a Successful Decennial Census”
Before the House Subcommittee on
Federalism and the Census
US House of
Representatives
19 April 2005
Good morning. On
behalf of the US Census Bureau, I want to thank Chairman Turner, Ranking Member
Clay, and the Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census for the opportunity to
provide the Congress with an update on our progress on the 2010 decennial
program. I was pleased and heartened the
Congress chose to recognize the vital relationship between federalism and the
census. This relationship was
established in the US Constitution in Article 1, Section 2, and the nation’s
first census was conducted in 1790, making the census one of the nation’s
oldest civic engagements. The Census
Bureau is proud of and humbled by this tradition. Our efforts to reach every community, every
neighborhood, every street, every household, and every person living in
I want to assure the committee, our primary goal is an accurate decennial census. In 2010, we will meet this goal through the reengineered census process — a process that will deliver more timely data, reduce overall risk, and contain costs. The reengineered 2010 decennial program comprises three integrated components: the American Community Survey, which will provide timely, accurate data for states, towns, and even neighborhoods; the Master Address File (MAF) and TIGER Enhancement Program, which will serve our nation by updating and modernizing the maps by which we collect and disseminate census data; and the 2010 Census, a short-form only census, which includes a rigorous research and testing program.[1] Each component of the 2010 decennial census program is designed to promote the success of the other components, and to serve the constitutional requirement for an accurate census.
As we look forward, it is worth considering the context of
the first census and the great and hopeful challenge accepted on our behalf by
the framers in
We know why an actual enumeration was chosen as the
method for apportioning power within the House of Representatives. The enumeration was chosen as a means of
systematically apportioning power and representation as the nation’s population
inevitably grew and changed. According
to James Madison’s diary, as the delegates debated the original distribution of
power, George Mason spoke about the need to establish a procedure to justify
power with the passage of time and to recognize a fundamental right of the
people for fair representation. “He did
not object to the conjectural ratio which was to prevail in the outset; but
considered a Revision from time to time according to some permanent &
precise standard as essential to [sic] fair representation as required in the 1st
branch. According to the present
population of
We also know what was intended for the census by the manner
in which the first census was conducted.
The instructions of the first census act are replete with the injunction
that the marshals should record every person living in the
Thus, with the experience of the first census, we
acknowledge two abiding principles: the
necessity to apportion fair representation in an ever-changing population, and
the importance of recognition and inclusion for communities throughout this
country. We have, in every census since,
attempted to reach every person living in
There is an old adage, knowledge is power — and the
census is an important source of knowledge and information. Census data empower citizens at every level
and generate activity within the nation’s social and economic spheres. Acknowledging this fact is a critical part of
planning each census. We recognize the
demands for high-quality data are ever increasing, and that in many instances
only the census can satisfy these demands because it is the only consistent,
comprehensive, detailed source of information for small communities and small
geographies throughout the
With each census, this challenge grows and changes. The 1990s witnessed unprecedented growth in the Latino community; an increasing reluctance to answer surveys; social changes affecting residency, such as two-residence households and increasingly complex custody arrangements; and an environment of changing technological capabilities. Each of these challenges and opportunities dramatically affected Census 2000. The 2000 Census, despite its success, was a high-risk endeavor. In fact, at this point in the last decade, the Census Bureau was pursuing a controversial plan that was ultimately overturned in the courts, and was just conducting the first major test for the census. The Census Bureau learned a great deal from the experience of Census 2000, as we do after every census. After each census, the Census Bureau conducts thorough and extensive evaluations, examining all aspects from planning and research to coverage measurement, from enumerator training to data quality, from data processing to data dissemination. As we plan the next census, we consider the lessons learned and assess new opportunities. Following the Census 2000, both the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Commerce Inspector General strongly emphasized the need for increased planning and testing — something which the Census Bureau also acknowledged.
Today, I assure you, we understood the lessons of Census 2000, and we are working to take advantage of important technological and operational opportunities we missed in the past as well as exploring new opportunities. The 2010 decennial census reengineering process is intended to deliver a more accurate census. Moreover, if properly tested, it will also deliver more timely data and reduce overall risk. We believe this process will save taxpayer dollars relative to repeating the design and operation of the 2000 census, by allowing the Census Bureau to conduct early testing. Our goal is to capitalize on important technological advancements expected to save time and money while improving the accuracy of critical field operations. We intend to meet our goals, and at this juncture — approximately five years from Census Day — I am pleased to report we are on schedule and on budget, as we proceed with the American Community Survey, the MAF/TIGER Enhancement, and the 2010 Census.
The American Community Survey
With the American Community Survey, we are experiencing the greatest evolution in the decennial census in over 60 years. The American Community Survey replaces the long form of the census, an important and crucial step in realizing a short-form only census. With a three-million-household-sample every year, the American Community Survey will deliver data to governments with populations of 65,000 or more beginning next year. As the survey continues, we will publish long-form type data for places of 20,000 or more in 2008, and for all other areas, including census tracts, in 2010, and every year thereafter.
The American Community Survey, with the support of the Congress, was fully implemented this year. We began sending questionnaires throughout the country, increasing the sample to approximately 250,000 households per month. This makes the American Community Survey the largest continuous data collection activity at the Census Bureau, and one of the largest on-going surveys in the world. We are very pleased to report that because of Congress’ support throughout the testing of the program, we have been able to keep up with the increased workload — a workload that has tripled (and in some instances quadrupled) in the case of field operations, as well as other activities such as the call centers. More importantly, the work proceeds on schedule and on budget, demonstrating the importance of a well-conceived and supported testing program.
The American Community Survey is an important evolution
providing timely data for states and local communities, replacing the old
system that delivered data once a decade.
These data are required to carry out an array of Federal mandates. At the same time, the American Community
Survey will allow the Census Bureau to focus its efforts in 2010 on the core,
constitutional responsibility to conduct an accurate enumeration of every
person living in
MAF/TIGER Enhancement Program
The census must fulfill two principal requirements: 1) count every person living in
With the MAF/TIGER Enhancement Program, we are working with the private and public sectors to
modernize and enhance the capabilities of the nation’s road map. Important objectives of the enhancement
program include, realigning the TIGER map in order to take advantage of GPS
capabilities, modernizing the processing system, and expanding geographic
partnerships. We are working with the
Harris Corporation to realign all the
We want to modernize the MAF/TIGER processing system, replacing the homegrown system developed more than 25 years ago before the information and technology revolution, with a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf system. This will provide a more flexible integration with other operations, and a more customer-friendly product for other users. As we proceed, however, we are mindful that the TIGER system is a national resource; we are working on partnerships that will benefit all partners in the exchange of geospatial information. This means we are working with local governments, as well as other agencies and the private sector, to coordinate, improve, and modernize MAF/TIGER.
The 2010 Census
This is an extensive effort, and we believe it is the basis for an accurate census that will result in the fair distribution of power and resources. The decennial census enumeration is the foundation for the nation’s data infrastructure; it is the principal denominator for our population statistics. Thanks to the American Community Survey, the 2010 Census will be a short-form only census, meaning we will focus our efforts on the quality of the count and census coverage. To ensure success, we are not only using lessons learned from the past, we are reaching forward to the future.
The Census Bureau began research and testing for the 2010
Census early in the decade — in fact, far earlier than for any previous
census. The testing program began in
2003 with a national mailout test. We
conducted a census test in 2004 in Queens Borough in
We believe these efforts will improve not only the accuracy
of the responses, but also coverage. We
will take these experiences and the research we have conducted thus far into
the field in 2006, as we conduct census tests in Travis County, Texas and the
Cheyenne River Reservation in
In conclusion, we believe reducing the risk associated with the census is an investment in the nation’s future, and one worth making. Congress has supported this investment thus far, and we are asking for your continued support, as the 2010 decennial census program matures. Over the decade, Congress will authorize the distribution of more than two trillion taxpayer dollars based on census data. The cost of a reengineered census program is less than one-half of one percent of that amount. Moreover, the current Life Cycle indicates the reengineered census will provide overall cost savings, as compared to conducting a traditional census without the American Community Survey and the other enhancements. Support for the American Community Survey and MAF/TIGER does more than encourage the success of the census; these important resources will empower citizens at every level and generate activity throughout the nation’s social and economic spheres. Supporting the ongoing and aggressive research program associated with the decennial census supports the accuracy of the count. The value of your support in this respect is incalculable, as the census forms the foundation of the nation’s data infrastructure, and the data become the basis for both public and private decision-making throughout the nation. The census supports the hopes and ambitions of communities. The census provides information — factual evidence — that helps all branches of government, including state and local governments, as well as the private sector, to answer the needs of this country. It is one of our nation’s most honorable and humbling traditions — it is the tradition that honors our nation’s most vital asset, its people.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity, and I hope my testimony was informative. I would be happy to answer your questions and concerns.