National Academies Press: OpenBook

Modernizing the U.S. Census (1995)

Chapter: M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies

« Previous: L Allocation Rates
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

APPENDIX
M

Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies

In 1992, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested federal agencies to document their statutory justification for decennial census data. Federal agencies provided a list of specific census items that they used, the statutory source supporting their use, the purpose of the data, and possible alternative sources of data.

OMB subsequently had Bureau of the Census staff code the federal agency responses by (1) census topic, (2) lowest level of geography required, and (3) requirement classification. Three levels of requirement classification were distinguished:

  • Mandated—decennial census data mandated by legislation;

  • Required—data specifically required by legislation, but decennial census not named as source, the census is the only or historical source of data;

  • Programmatic—data used for agency program, planning, implementation, evaluation or to provide legal evidence.

    From this review, it appears that all 1990 census items are needed for mandated, required, or programmatic purposes, as shown below (see Office of Management and Budget, 1994):

  • Mandated items. For each person: age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, household relationship; for each housing unit: tenure; for a sample of persons: marital status, education, place of birth, citizenship, year of entry, language, veteran status, place of work, journey to work, and income; for a sample of

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

housing units: number of rooms, vehicles, year structure built, and farm residence.

  • Required items. For a sample of persons: disability, labor force status, occupation, industry, class of worker; for a sample of housing units: units in structure, rent, year moved in, number of bedrooms, plumbing, kitchen, fuels, utilities, and selected monthly ownership costs.

  • Program items. For a sample of persons: ancestry, residence 5 years ago, children ever born, work status last year, and year last worked; for a sample of housing units: condominium, value of home, telephone, and water/sewer.

Table M.1 shows the geographic area requirements for mandated, required, and programmatic census items. With few exceptions, census data are needed for small areas. Most census data are needed for aggregations of blocks, census tracts, or minor civil divisions and places. The table is based on material provided by the Office of Management and Budget (1994). OMB is still receiving responses to its June 9, 1994, request for documentation from federal agencies.

REFERENCE

Office of Management and Budget 1994 Memorandum on topics for inclusion in the year 2000 census for Heads of Departments and Agencies dated June 9, 1994 from Leon Panetta. With attachments. Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

TABLE M.1  Overview of Mandated, Required, and Programmatic Decennial Census Topics by Lowest Level of Geography for Which Data Are Needed

 

Lowest Level of Geography

Item

Block

Aggregation of Blocks

Census Tracta

Place (with or without MCD)

County

State or Nation

Relationship

This item will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons.

Mandated—

school district

 

 

 

 

Sex

This item will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons. (Programmatic)

Mandated—

school district

 

 

 

 

Race

This topic will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons. (Programmatic)

 

 

Mandated

 

 

Age

This topic will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons. (Programmatic)

Mandated—

school district

 

 

 

 

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

Hispanic origin

This topic will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons. (Programmatic)

 

 

Mandated

 

 

Marital status

 

 

 

Mandated

 

 

Education

 

Mandated— school district

 

 

 

 

Place of birth, citizenship, year of entry

 

Required— school district

 

Mandated

 

 

Ancestry

 

 

Programmatic

 

 

 

Language

 

Mandated— school district

 

 

 

 

Residence 5 years ago

 

 

Programmatic

 

 

 

Disability

 

Required— school district

 

 

 

 

Children ever born

 

 

 

 

Programmatic

Veteran status

 

Programmatic— Zip code

Required

 

 

Mandated

Labor force status

 

Programmatic— Zip code

 

 

Required

 

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

 

Lowest Level of Geography

Item

Block

Aggregation

of Blocks

Census Tracta

Place (with or without MCD)

County

State or Nation

Occupation, industry,    

class of worker

 

Programmatic—

Zip code

 

Required

 

 

Place of work, journey

to work

 

Required—traffic analysis zone

 

 

Mandated

 

Work status last year

 

 

Programmatic

 

 

 

Income

Programmatic

Mandated—

school district

 

 

 

 

Year last worked

 

 

Programmatic

 

 

 

Units in structure

 

Programmatic

Required

 

 

 

Rooms

 

Programmatic

Mandated

 

 

 

Tenure

This topic will be collected at the block level for coverage and other reasons. (Programmatic)

 

Mandated

 

 

 

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

Value

 

Programmatic

 

 

 

Rent

 

Programmatic

Required

 

 

Year moved in

 

 

 

 

Required

Bedrooms

 

Programmatic

Required

 

 

Plumbing

 

Programmatic

Required

 

 

Kitchen

 

Programmatic

Required

 

 

Telephone

 

 

Programmatic

 

 

Vehicles

 

Required—traffic analysis zone

 

 

Mandated

Fuels

 

Programmatic

 

 

Required

Water/sewer

 

 

 

 

Programmatic

Year built

 

Programmatic

Mandated

 

 

Condominium

 

 

 

Programmatic

 

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×

 

Lowest Level of Geography

Item

Block

Aggregation of Blocks

Census Tracta

Place (with or without MCD)

County

State or Nation

Acreage/farm

 

Mandated

 

 

 

 

Utilities

 

Programmatic

 

Required

 

 

Selected monthly ownership costs

Programmatic

 

 

Required

 

 

NOTES:  Mandated—decennial census data are specifically mandated by legislation. Required—data are specifically required by legislation; the census is the only or historical source. For each topic, the lowest level of geography for which data are needed is shown. Agencies providing input to the classification include Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Reserve, and National Science Foundation.

a Includes block numbering area (BNA).

Source:  Office of Management and Budget (1994).

Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 438
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 439
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 440
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 441
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 442
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 443
Suggested Citation:"M Census Data Requirements by Federal Agencies." National Research Council. 1995. Modernizing the U.S. Census. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4805.
×
Page 444
Next: N Groups and Individuals Consulted »
Modernizing the U.S. Census Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $65.00 Buy Ebook | $54.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The U.S. census, conducted every 10 years since 1790, faces dramatic new challenges as the country begins its third century. Critics of the 1990 census cited problems of increasingly high costs, continued racial differences in counting the population, and declining public confidence.

This volume provides a major review of the traditional U.S. census. Starting from the most basic questions of how data are used and whether they are needed, the volume examines the data that future censuses should provide. It evaluates several radical proposals that have been made for changing the census, as well as other proposals for redesigning the year 2000 census. The book also considers in detail the much-criticized long form, the role of race and ethnic data, and the need for and ways to obtain small-area data between censuses.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!