Census Records and the Constitution

It doesn't matter which side of the political aisle you sit on. As Americans, all of us are wary of government intrusion into our privacy. Whether it's a concern over our right to bear arms, illegal wiretapping or cameras set up on every corner watching our every move. Big brother isn't exactly welcomed in most American homes. Receiving census forms in the mail we have to fill out and return to the government, to some Americans, constitute an invasion of privacy. So why do we have to fill out detailed forms about our education level, health, how many people live under the same roof or any information at all? What exactly is the purpose of collecting census records if they are going to be hidden away under lock and key for seventy two years and why should I comply? The answer is quite simple. Political power and each state's share of federal money.

Census records are taken every ten years. Mandated by the Constitution of the United States, the original purpose was to get an accurate count of the population in order to determine congressional districts. In other words, one thing the census determines is how many House of Representative members you will have representing your district in Washington D.C.. If a state's population has decreased from the last census and it's significant, your district will lose a representative. If a state has a significant increase, another representative is added. Political power. State population determines if districts need to be redrawn to reflect a loss or increase in population for a particular area. This happens every ten years.

The best way to get an accurate count of the population is through census records. Accurate population counts in cities and rural areas determine the amount of federal dollars that will be appropriated to states for education, law enforcement, federal highway repairs and projects, federal aid to farmers and any other programs that are funded by the federal government. When people refuse to fill out their census forms, they risk a decrease in money of government funded programs that can be vital for their community as well as the possibility of less representation in our nation's capitol.

Except for information that pertains to national statistics on health and social issues for use in policy decisions by different agencies, redistricting of congressional districts and economic stats that are then reflected in the country's economic policies; all personal information is locked away for 72 years. None of the agencies that do receive data from census records have any idea how a particular household answered the questions on their forms.

The 1930 census records were released in 2002. Genealogists and ancestry seekers now have access to records for more in depth research on family history. The best way to track family history for those filling out their family tree is through the collection of data done every ten years. These records provide information about our decedents such as names, ages, number of people in a household, number of children, education level of adults and children at the time of the census and the occupation of head of household. They can also contain additional family names. The 1925 census (an agricultural census which takes place every 5 years) contain not only the head of household, his spouse and their children's names, it also includes the name of the parents of the father and mother. I was able to find the name of my grandparents and great grandparents on this one document along with aunts and uncles. It gives you a starting point to work from. Not all census records contain the exact same information, therefore, each one holds another clue to building a family tree.

Census records give policy makers a ten year snapshot into the health of the people along with population growth, number of House members representing each district and how much federal money will be allocated to each state. It is important to fill out your census record form as accurate as possible. Besides, you never know who may be searching for their great grandma or grandpa 72 years from now.

What is The Purpose of the Census? What is the data used for?, TheNation.com

U.S. Federal Census Records, Census Records.net

Census Bureau Opens First 2010 Census Data Capture Center, U.S. Census Bureau