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The 2000 U.S. Census aims for greater outreach and accuracy

by Elissa Haney

This article was posted on March 31, 2000.

Can the 2000 census be pulled off smoothly, avoiding the quagmire of criticism that followed the 1990 census? Don’t count on it. Tallying the inhabitants of the third most populous country in the world is no small feat, and there are more

The new census aims for greater accuracy in determining the nation’s racial composition. (Source/U.S. Census Bureau)

  • Colonial Population EstimatesTotal Population of the U.S. and Its Territories Population Distribution by Age, Race, Nativity, and Sex Ratio, 1860-1990 Resident Population-Selected Characteristics, 1790-1999 Population Trends by Region, 1990-1998Population by State, 1790-19901999 Population Estimates by Race, Sex, and Age1999 Population Estimates by Age and Sex

Greater Outreach

Steps are being taken to curb these factors in 2000. Questionnaires will be available in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (which is spoken in the Philippines) in order to generate a higher response level from the immigrant population. The Census Bureau also plans to tap into the nation’s passion for technology. People who receive the standard short form, which consists of just seven questions, will be able to fill it out online rather than having to mail it back. Online filing will be more convenient for many citizens and should help streamline the counting process for the Bureau by reducing the amount of time required for data entry.

The enormity of the Census Bureau’s efforts is astounding. Some 860,000 temporary workers are being hired to complete the task. Total cost estimates have climbed to a mind-blowing $6 billion. On top of the work involved in organizing the count, the Bureau has been running an unprecedented publicity campaign to increase awareness about the census.

Accuracy Matters

So why the urgency? Census data is used in distributing funding for education, highways, health care, disaster relief, Social Security, and other needs in the nation’s communities. It also helps determine where district lines should be drawn within state boundaries. Information about the racial and ethnic composition of the nation makes it easier for the government to examine equal employment opportunity policies and assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks. With such important political and social decisions riding on the census, it is easy to see why it had better be as accurate as possible.

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Census History and 20th-Century Firsts

  • Census History and 20th-Century Firsts

TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Current Events This Week: January 2023

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Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents

The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales

TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Current Events This Week: January 2023

African Americans by the Numbers

Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents

The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales

  • Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
  • The Twelve Dancing Princesses
  • Current Events This Week: January 2023
  • African Americans by the Numbers
  • Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
  • The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales