Procedures To Adjust 1980 Census Counts Have Limitations
Highlights
The number of congressional representatives a state receives, as well as district boundaries, are determined by a decennial census. A number of communities, contending that the 1980 census has missed large numbers of persons and that this undercounting will result in their citizens being shortchanged in political representations and federal fund distributions, have taken legal action to have the census count adjusted for the undercount. The Census Bureau dropped a postenumeration survey for estimating 1980 census errors at subnational levels, so that preliminary estimates would be available sooner. GAO reported on the Census Bureau's ability to develop accurate undercount estimates for subnational levels and the effect of dropping a planned post-census survey on the prospects for developing accurate undercount estimates.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should enact legislation requiring that the Secretary of Commerce submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees having jurisdiction over the census, 18 months prior to each census, on whether and how he intends to prepare credible estimates of over/undercount at subnational levels, including characteristics for the undercounted persons. The report should include the cost and time needed to make these estimates and an independent assessment of the Bureau's proposed methods. |
Closed
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Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should require for future censuses: (1) that the Director of the Bureau of the Census determine the feasibility of providing credible estimates of over/undercounts and distributing them to needed user levels, and if feasible prepare detailed information to describe the methods to be used, including the expected reliability of such estimates as well as the time and costs needed for these efforts; and (2) an independent assessment of the Bureau's proposed methods be made. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should require that the Director of the Bureau of the Census organize a program of experiments using statistical analysis to determine whether improved estimates can be developed of the true population at state and substate levels. |
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
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