2010 US Census an important tool for country, easy to fill out

By Andrew Mell
Western Herald

In late January, the 2010 Census kicked off. For a number of months, the US Census Bureau will do their best to “snap a picture” of all of America. But what exactly is the census and what is its purpose?

The United Nations has recommended that countries conduct censuses decennially, or every ten years, and since 1790 the US has done just that. This year will mark the 22nd census in US history.

The 2000 Census was conducted when most undergrads at Western were between nine and twelve years old, so we can be forgiven for being a little vague on the details of exactly what the census sets out to do. The importance of it, highlighted in recent media advertisements, is nothing short of completely accurate.

One of the most important things that will come from this census is the number of seats that each state will be given, starting with the 2012 elections, in the US House of Representatives.

Since House of Representative seats are reliant upon state population, certain states are expecting to either gain or lose seats dependent upon the results of the census. Included in that category is Michigan, which based upon current projections, stands to lose one seat.

By definition losing a representative in Congress would be detrimental; congressmen are able to fight for the needs of Michigan and fight for things that representatives from other parts of the country may not care about. Asian carp for instance.

But with our Congress’s current lack of ability to accomplish anything meaningful for our country, perhaps it is little more than a moot point how many representatives we have.

Another matter of importance dependent upon the census is how many electoral votes Michigan will have for future presidential elections. Much like our seats in Congress, population also determines electoral votes per state.

A significant dip in population could diminish Michigan’s influence in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections; though with President Barack Obama completely ignoring Michigan in the 2008 Democratic Primaries, Michigan really has no place to go but up.

Other things determined by the census include a variety of government funding for programs, as well as valuable demographic information. Unfortunately there is no direct personal gain to be received from filling out and returning the census, unlike possible cash returns from filling out taxes, therefore the government simply has to plead with the populous to cooperate.

In previous censuses there have been long forms, given randomly to about 15 percent of the population with a plethora of detailed socioeconomic questions, and short forms, which are simple and fast to fill out.

For 2010 the Census Bureau, in accordance with the ever-growing ADD’ness of the general population, has made it easier than ever for people to complete the form, preparing it with around ten questions at only about a page in length.

Historically the accuracy of censuses has been questioned because of the unreliability of people to complete and return them. Most people seem to favor simply ignoring things that are not seen as directly beneficial.

A prime example is professor evaluations at the end of each semester. A quick glance around the classroom will show students completing the form quickly and thoughtlessly, and that’s for the ones who don’t immediately walk out.

Indirect benefits like better representation, increased government funding, accurate social and economic information, and generally a bigger foot in the door, are sometimes hard to comprehend, but vastly important.

The census is immensely significant and will be used as a valuable tool for the next ten years, as well as providing historical data about our state and country forever. Data concerning population growth, demographics, and other information can only be accurate if we oblige and complete the census.

Soon a simple questionnaire will arrive in the mail and will only take a few moments of your time. For those few moments that you take Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the US will be better positioned because of it. Please fill out the census; it probably will not even be the most burdensome thing you do that day.

Andrew Mell, a Western Herald opinion columnist, is a senior majoring in aviation, and can be reached via e-mail at melltimejr@hotmail.com.

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Posted by heraldstaff on Mar 7 2010. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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