The decennial Census is the US Government's largest statistical undertaking and it costs
billions of dollars in planning execution and analysis. From a statistical viewpoint it is
critical because it is the only database that maps every inhabitant into a geographic location.
By constitutional mandate census data are the basis for reapportioning the House of
Representatives and the Electoral College. The states use census data to redistrict their state
legislatures and often to redraw boundaries for local elections. Census data inform the
distribution of over $1.5 trillion in federal funding during the decade.This book details the
fundamentals and significance of the 2020 Census for the non-specialist reader. It covers why
the Census is the only statistical activity required by the US Constitution the challenges of
working towards an accurate and complete count and what political ramifications flow from this
process. Concise timely and comprehensible this book provides helpful real-life examples
while also offering an overview of the entwined statistical and political issues that surround
the Census.
