Policies, Politics and Dollars Rest on US Census
Every 10 years the government has to count the population. But some people would rather not be counted.
19 March 2010
Census chief Rorbert Groves starts the 2010 count in Noorvik, Alaska, in January
This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
Census forms have been mailed across America. Every ten years since seventeen ninety the Constitution has required a population count.
The results decide how many seats each state will have in the House of Representatives. The numbers will also decide how more than four hundred billion dollars a year in federal assistance is divided.
States that are hurting financially depend on the federal government for about twenty percent of their money. The more people counted, the more money the states can receive.
But counting the world's third largest population -- about three hundred nine million by current estimates -- is no easy job. The process costs more than fourteen billion dollars.
The Census Bureau says the ten-question form this year is one of the shortest ever and should take no more than ten minutes. Officials want all forms returned by Census Day, April first.
The form asks for the number of people living or staying in a house, apartment or mobile home. It asks for the name of each person living there, and about the ownership of the home. There are also race and ethnicity questions. And a phone number is requested, the form explains, in case an answer is not understood.
最新
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25