Census 2000: let the games begin.It seems like a simple task - go out and count the people in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . But the 2000 census is again mired mire n. 1. An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog. 2. Deep slimy soil or mud. 3. A disadvantageous or difficult condition or situation: the mire of poverty. v. in controversy, just like the 1990 census and the 1980 census and probably every census since 1789 when the framers adopted the constitutional requirement that the government take an "actual enumeration 1. (mathematics) enumeration - A bijection with the natural numbers; a counted set. Compare well-ordered. 2. (programming) enumeration - enumerated type. " every 10 years to determine the number of congressional seats to assign each state. In fact, when Thomas Jefferson, the first director of the census, sent the figures to President Washington, he provided two sets of numbers. One set was the people that Jefferson had counted in each state, and the second set was his best guess as to the actual number of Americans. The 2000 census is less than three years away, and there is a war brewing between the census bureau and Congress that may derail de·rail intr. & tr.v. de·railed, de·rail·ing, de·rails 1. To run or cause to run off the rails. 2. plans by the bureau to incorporate sampling techniques into the process. The bureau maintains that sampling will reduce the cost of the census dramatically, as well as result in a more accurate final count. Sampling, a method endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences, may be the best way to correct the chronic under-count of minorities. Republicans in Congress disagree and have pledged sufficient funding to conduct the best head count possible. House and Senate GOP leaders sent the census bureau a letter expressing their opposition to the method, saying that "voters should not be disenfranchised through the use of statistical guessing." Other objections include the risk that the sampling method may violate the Constitution. That could result in a mandate to retake re·take tr.v. re·took , re·tak·en , re·tak·ing, re·takes 1. To take back or again. 2. To recapture. 3. To photograph, film, or record again. n. 1. the census, a potential $6 billion to $7 billion cost. Whatever the outcome, the stakes for the states are tremendous. Not only are seats in Congress apportioned ap·por·tion tr.v. ap·por·tioned, ap·por·tion·ing, ap·por·tions To divide and assign according to a plan; allot: "The tendency persists to apportion blame as suits the circumstances" based on census figures, census numbers are used to allocate millions of federal dollars to states. And the data are used to draw district lines for every state legislative district in the country. Participants in 1990 redistricting redistricting: see legislative apportionment. and the census adjustment debate that took place then will find all of this vaguely familiar. These are the early shots in a battle that will rage right through the taking of the 2000 census - no matter what method is used. |
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