Beginning in 1810, the third census taken by the United States, the Census Bureau, a sub-agency within the Department of Commerce, understood that more information was needed about the public than the basic questions supplied. This information was needed by business owners and potential business owners, academics doing research, other government agencies, etc. Questions were added to the census covering various topics such as agriculture, industry, and commerce, as well as individuals' occupation, ancestry, marital status, disabilities, place of birth, and other topics. These questions became unwieldy for the overall population, so in 1940, the Bureau created the long-form census questionnaire, which was sent to a random sampling of citizens. More recently, the Bureau discovered that people need more up to date data than was provided by the decennial census. In order to collect social, economic, and housing data continuously, the Bureau implemented, in 2005, the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). This survey eliminated the need for the long-form of the census.
Periodically, the Census Bureau tests the
questions to see if question wording, instructions, response categories,
and underlying constructs need to be changed.
They also make changes to current topics or add topics as needed. Current topics include household roster,
educational attainment, health insurance coverage, disability, and labor force
questions. Three new topics are proposed
for the 2025 census – solar panels, electric vehicles, and sewage disposal.
These changes and new topics will be available in the 2025 ACS/PRCS. The Department of Commerce/Census Bureau is seeking comments on these changes and additions as well as on the validity of how questions are asked and the methodology of gathering and analyzing the information. They are also asking for comments on how to make the survey less burdensome and more efficient for the respondents.
In order to read the document and make a comment, go to https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/20/2023-23249/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for
Comments must be received on or before December 19, 2023.
The Census Bureau warns “comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include, or
summarize, each comment in our request to OMB (Office of Management and Budget)
to approve this ICR (Information Collection Request). Before including your
address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you
may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.”
