Fill it out, send it in

What am I talking about? Your 2010 Census form, of course! We sent ours in last week, so we’re already part of the (currently) 54% participation rate for Indiana. You can see how that rate changes in the widget I’ve added to my sidebar, or you can check your own area’s rate at the Census website.

So, what is the census, and why is it important?

The census is a count of the population of the United States conducted every ten years. It’s specifically mentioned in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 2) for the purpose of apportioning members of the House of Representatives and direct taxes. The 14th amendment changed the method of counting people (“other Persons” than free now counted as whole people, rather than three-fifths), while the 16th amendment changed the way taxes are apportioned. While the Constitution doesn’t explicitly allow the use of census data for any other purposes, neither does it prohibit such use.

The main purpose of the census is still the apportionment of House members. That’s why Indiana is now down to 9 Representatives, instead of the 11 it had when I was born. That reason alone makes it very important to complete and return your Census form. You do want Indiana to have all the Representatives it’s entitled to, don’t you?  Currently, another big use of census data is in the allocation of Federal spending. The funding of hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, emergency services, and public works (bridges, highways, etc.) are all affected by the census. With the state of Indiana’s budget, it’s important that we count everyone. Finally, it gives people like me a huge amount of information to mine for little nuggets of fascinating information. If you’re concerned about privacy, don’t worry. It’s against the law for anyone, especially Census employees,  to reveal specific data (names, addresses, Social Security numbers or telephone numbers). The Census Bureau treats this very seriously.

Historically, minority groups such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and the homeless have had low participation rates. I hope this will change this time, and I encourage everyone in minority groups to participate. If you’re in a same-sex relationship, please see this information from the Williams Institute on filling out your Census form correctly.

Need another reason to return your Census form? It’s required by Federal law. There’s a $100 fine for not answering the Census (although I don’t know personally anyone who’s ever been fined). In addition, there’s a $500 fine for providing false information in the Census form.