Every 10 years, the U.S. government takes roll. 

 

The United States Census is a program by which the government takes a “snapshot” of all households, citizens and non-citizens, for the purpose of determining many things, including how many seats each state has in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as well as who gets what part of the $400 billion to be allocated to states and communities. The census also helps determine locations for retail stores, schools, hospitals, new housing development and other community facilities, and it can determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts, according to material provided by the Census Bureau.

 

Forms will be mailed out in March, 2010. A shorter form this time, with only 10 questions, it will contain requests for information about such as topics as whether a house is rented or owned, the address of the residence, and the names, genders, ages and races of those who live in the household.

 

The government is assuring U.S. citizens that the information will be kept confidential. “By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s responses with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities,” the bureau’s materials state.

 

Those who do not receive a questionnaire at their home may pick one up at select public sites during March and April of 2010. During the months of May through July, census takers will visit homes of those who did not send the census back.

 

The deadline for the bureau to have all data compiled and presented to the president is Dec. 31, 2010.

 

“The census is crucial to our democratic form of government, as population size determines political representation at all levels of government,” Farmersville City Manager John Moran said. “Population also factors into how federal funds are apportioned to local areas, which will ultimately help to improve our quality of life.  Be sure you are counted in the 2010 census to help ensure a bright future for Farmersville.”

 

The bureau will provide additional assistance to those who need it. Questionnaire assistance guides will be available in a variety of languages, and there will be questionnaire assistance centers to help those unable to read or understand the questionnaire. Large-print versions of the form are available upon request, and a Teletext Device for the Deaf program is available for the hearing impaired. Those wishing to arrange for one of these services should contact the local census bureau office at 214-637-9680 or census.gov.

 

There will also be jobs associated with the 2010 Census; call 1-800-861-2010 for more information or visit 2010censusjobs.gov.

 

Also, the government is requesting that organizations partner with the bureau to support the census effort. Those partnering with the bureau may include census information in newsletters, mailings and online, sponsor special meetings to inform the public about the census, help recruit census workers, provide space for testing and training of census employees, and/or issue proclamations or other public endorsement for the 2010 Census. For more partnership information, visit census.gov/2010census. 

 

History of the U.S. Census Bureau

 

*The first census took place in 1790 to determine the number of seats each state would have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The census was also created to gain a better understanding of where people lived and to establish patterns of settlement as the nation grew.

 

*The Census Bureau was established in 1902. Today, in addition to administering the census of population and housing, the bureau conducts more than 200 annual surveys, including the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and economic censuses every five years.

 

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