The U.S. census is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which states: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States... according to their respective … See more

The census has historically and up to the present been controversial due to its role in reapportioning political representation. In the 1850s, census planners suppressed information about slavery due to pressure from Southern lawmakers. The results of the 1920 census … See more

One purpose of the census is to divide the house seats by population. Furthermore, as with any Census Bureau survey, the data provides a beginning for the allocation of … See more

Decennial U.S. census figures are based on actual counts of persons dwelling in U.S. residential structures. They include citizens, non-citizen … See more

In addition to its primary purpose of reapportioning the House of Representatives, census data are used for a wide variety of applications, including:
• Apportionment of federal funding in a large number of programs, estimated at somewhere … See more

Censuses had been taken prior to the Constitution's ratification; in the early 17th century, a census was taken in Virginia, and people were counted in almost all of the British colonies … See more

The census records data specific to individual respondents are not available to the public until 72 years after a given census was taken, … See more