Brookings: Topics - U.S. Census

Census Dodges a Bullet but the Immigration Issue Remains

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Senate voted 60-39 to approve cloture on the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill, effectively blocking the controversial amendment that would bar the 2010 Census, unless it collected data on citizenship and immigration status. Audrey Singer responds to this news, and shows that though the Census will continue, the issue still remains.

Who Cares About Federal Economic Statistics?

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a guest commentary for Economy.com’s Dismal Scientist, Andrew Reamer argues that while prospects for the federal economic statistical system are much improved compared to two years ago, the budget deficit will lead to pressures to reduce statistical agency spending. These pressures are much more likely to be alleviated if data users speak loudly about the substantial return the nation receives on relatively small investments in economic statistics.

The Suburbanization of American Poverty

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The latest data from the Census Bureau reveal that the first year of the Great Recession boosted American poverty, but Sun Belt metro areas and large suburbs bore the brunt of poverty increases in 2008. Elizabeth Kneebone explores recent city and suburban poverty trends in this Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity article.

Changing the Census? Don’t Even Think about It

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Preparations for April’s 2010 census are well underway but a last-minute amendment introduced by Sens. David Vitter (R-LA) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) threatens to derail it. In order to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the apportionment process, the Senators want to bar the Census Bureau from moving ahead unless it adds questions on citizenship and immigration status. Audrey Singer and Andrew Reamer say that the Senate should reject this amendment because it would result in inaccuracy, increased costs, and ironically disrupt the apportionment process.

Bad News on Poverty, Worse to Come

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Isabel Sawhill examines the latest poverty statistics, concluding that with the policy community so heavily focused on health care reform, the plight of the least advantaged in our society is getting too little attention.

Simulating the Effect of the “Great Recession” on Poverty

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Emily Monea and Isabel Sawhill argue that in light of the projected increases in U.S. poverty levels, more attention should be paid to the adequacy of the safety net plus health care, education, job training and other means of insuring that more Americans are able to benefit from the opportunities that a growing economy will eventually provide.

The 2008 Statistics on Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On September 10, the day the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual poverty report, Gary Burtless addressed the seventh annual the Brookings Center on Children and Families briefing and discussed the new figures and their implications for families and policymakers.

The Structure of the U.S. Economic Statistical System: Implications for Public Policy

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At the biennial International Statistics Institute conference in Durban, South Africa, Andrew Reamer said that the federal economic statistical system has been too narrowly focused on meeting the data needs of macroeconomic policymakers, to the detriment of other data users, particularly those at the regional level.

The Federal Statistical System in the 21st Century: The Role of the Census Bureau

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee, Andrew Reamer indicated that, to become a 21s century statistical agency, the Census Bureau needed data programs that fully reflect today’s knowledge- and services-based economy; enable private and public organizations to make more informed, effective resource allocation decisions; and readily incorporate advances in information technology.

Budget 2010: More and Better Data for Metro Decisionmaking

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Andrew Reamer points out that the Metropolitan Policy Program has long argued that current, accurate, and accessible federal socioeconomic statistics are necessary to sustain well-functioning metro regions.

A Cautionary Tale about the Use of Administrative Data: Evidence from Age of Marriage Laws

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Rebecca Blank, Kerwin Charles and James Sallee demonstrate that administrative data may be inferior to survey data under particular circumstances by examining the effect of state laws governing the minimum age of marriage in the United States.

Politics, Policy and the 2010 Decennial Census

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 18, 2009, 2:00 PM to 04:00 PM

With the 2010 Census a little over a year away, the nation is at a critical juncture in its planning and preparation for the next decennial enumeration. On March 18, the Brookings Institution and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) hosted a discussion on urgent and emerging issues affecting the coming census.

In Dire Straits: The Urgent Need to Improve Economic Statistics

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Current, accurate economic statistics are crucial to monitoring the fragile condition of the U.S. economy and guiding it out of recession. However, Andrew Reamer indicates, the nation’s statistical system has been deteriorating before our eyes. He outlines steps the White House should take to repair the system.

Tempest Over the Census

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Congressional Black Caucus and Hispanic advocacy groups cried foul over Sen. Judd Gregg’s abortive nomination for Commerce Secretary because of census concerns, while conservative groups pilloried White House moves to assuage them. Andrew Reamer argues that both sides’ concerns would be best addressed by focusing on the Census Bureau itself.

Preparations for 2010: Is the Census Bureau Ready for the Job Ahead?

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Andrew Reamer's testimony emphasized the importance of the decennial Census to the nation and assessed the readiness of the federal government for the 2010 count.

The Road to 2010: Plans for the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 15, 2007, 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM

Anticipating the Unimaginable: The Crucial Role of the Census in Disaster Planning and Recovery

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Andrew Reamer, The Brookings Institution (7/10/06)

To Take a Bite Out of Crime: Safeguard the Census

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Andrew Reamer (6/26/06)

The Road to the 2010 Census: Implications for Congress and the Economy

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 07, 2006, 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM

Apportionment in the Balance: A Look into the Progress of the 2010 Decennial Census

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

In the hearing on ""Apportionment in the Balance: A Look into the Progress of the 2010 Decennial Census,"" Andrew Reamer testified to U.S. House Committee on the Government Reform why on-going support of the planning and preparation leading up to the 2

Exploring the Role of Census Information for Urban Markets

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 26, 2005 at 2:00 PM

Halfway to the 2010 Census: The Countdown and Components to a Successful Decennial Census

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony before the House Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census

Using the U.S. and U.K. Censuses for Comparative Research

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

In this discussion paper Rebecca Tunstall outlines key features of the U.S. and U.K. censuses of population, their main similarities and differences, and how the two canvasses can be used for comparative research on population, housing, and other key

Understanding Our Communities: Funding the American Community Survey

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

MetroView

Counting on the Census?

Thu, 01 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Policy Brief #56, by Peter Skerry (March 2000)

Numbers Matter: The U.S. Statistical System and a Rapidly Changing Economy

Sat, 01 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Policy Brief #63, by Barry P. Bosworth and Jack E. Triplett (July 2000)

The 2000 Census: Sampling Error

Mon, 31 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion in The New Republic, May 31, 1999, by Peter Skerry, Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution