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The census has become a proxy fight by the parties for power and control. It today is sadly far from an honest effort to determine the actual and accurate population of the USA.
If they allow it, it will be a shame. The census should NOT be a partisan tool. It's whole purpose is to count the population no matter who they are. That number should be as accurate as possible. If we have data that shows this question will underreport and drastically change the results, it shouldn't be allowed. If you are looking at this question as a way to stick it to the other party then you are looking at the census wrong. that's not what it is intended for.
As a genealogist, I can tell you that Citizenship question has been asked in the past. Not only US born Citizen, but whether a Naturalized Citizen one a well. Alien was written for non-Citizens. It was also asked if a person's native language was English and if they could read and write English as well. Lot of people today would like those questions. Employment questions. Employed? Unemployed for how long? These were not filled out by people but by Census Takers, and probably today would be a long form Census taken by only a random number of people living in the USA. No Census Takers even today? Everyone gets to fill out their own Census, long or short form?
Suffer....Ok, now I understand the motivation behind this whole thing. Trump is all about making certain States suffer.
Such questions are common on US census forms and have been for more than a century.
Since 1850 census forms have asked your State or country of birth, your county of birth in the US or county, department, province or state of birth in a foreign country, your city of birth, where your parents were born, whether you were naturalized, sometimes the date of naturalization, sometimes the place of naturalization or whether you were a US citizen
Trump isn't doing anything that hasn't already been done.
The real issue is what are the motivations of the people against asking questions that have already been asked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deckdoc
I hope they add the us citizen question. Where I live our retirement communities proudly fly the Canadian flag as well as the US flag and many of my Canadian friends who winter here to get out of the cold weather wonder why they HAVE to be counted. Are told if they are in US on census day they MUST be counted. Many of the retirement parks around here are 50% or greater Canadian and the census people are adumunt they MUST be counted.
If they're here, they'll be counted whether they like it or not.
If they choose not to complete the census forms, that will only result in an enumerator coming to their residence and knocking on the door to get the information.
They can choose not to answer the door or answer the questions, but that will only result in the enumerator knocking on the doors of neighbors to get the information needed.
So, they'll be counted whether they like it or not.
The census has become a proxy fight by the parties for power and control. It today is sadly far from an honest effort to determine the actual and accurate population of the USA.
The census is done independently, this proposed change sounds like politics.
If they allow it, it will be a shame. The census should NOT be a partisan tool. It's whole purpose is to count the population no matter who they are. That number should be as accurate as possible. If we have data that shows this question will underreport and drastically change the results, it shouldn't be allowed. If you are looking at this question as a way to stick it to the other party then you are looking at the census wrong. that's not what it is intended for.
Except that a state will get reps based on the population. Illegals should have zero representation.
I think it is ok for the census to have a citizenship question (not sold on need, but ability to add seems fair) and seems like it should have been on the census to begin with.
Is everyone as tired of talking about Immigration yet? I see no reason to continue talking about it if Immigration Reform is never going to get passed. It's just another wedge issue with no real legislative solutions being proposed until congress gets to it. I don't think most of the country cares to be honest, its not even top 10 outside to the general public.
"seems like it should have been on the census to begin with."
It WAS.
"The 1850 census was the first to ask respondents their place of birth, their real estate value and their profession. The census also asked about literacy and who in the household could not read or write. Subsequent censuses would ask about naturalization until it was dropped in the 1960 census."
"seems like it should have been on the census to begin with."
It WAS.
"The 1850 census was the first to ask respondents their place of birth, their real estate value and their profession. The census also asked about literacy and who in the household could not read or write. Subsequent censuses would ask about naturalization until it was dropped in the 1960 census."
It was also the first to list household members. The 1840 and prior census only identified the head of household by name. All other household members were identified by age group, gender and status as a free person.
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