Modernizing the U.S. Census (1995) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 RADICAL ALTERNATIVES
4 RADICAL ALTERNATIVES
Pages 59-74
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 59... ...
Several radical alternatives to a conventional census have been proposed for the United States. This chapter discusses four of them: a national register for the basic census, an administrative records census, a census conducted by the U.S.
|
From page 60... ...
A NATIONAL REGISTER FOR THE BASIC CENSUS A national population register could replace the conventional census with the continuous recording of individual data, possibly linked to other records, for every resident of the United States. In order to provide data required for apportionment and redistricting (and for other purposes)
|
From page 61... ...
Having continuously updated demographic data, with an associated national address list, would make it possible to develop more effective sampling schemes with less expensive data collection. A register-based census has a technical limitation in that the range of topics and their definitions are limited.
|
From page 62... ...
Unlike Denmark, which has relied wholly on its register-based census since 1981, Sweden has retained a census questionnaire since 1970, but it asks only for information that is not in the administrative records. The 1990 Swedish census questionnaire asked about economic activity, housing, household composition, and education; the data are then linked to the central population register to provide the full array of needed information.
|
From page 63... ...
A critical question is whether it is desirable for the United States to consider developing methods for a population census using administrative records without the support of a continuous population register something that has not been attempted in any country yet. Assessing this broad option in brief terms, the panel concludes that administrative records cannot be adapted in the near future (by 2000)
|
From page 64... ...
An administrative records census may be a real alternative in 2020, but not if work does not begin soon in order to accumulate experience in working with the records. The potential population coverage of administrative records is an important area for further consideration, and more research is needed.
|
From page 65... ...
Current administrative records are particularly problematic on race and ethnicity data. Little is known about the coverage of various minority groups in administrative record databases.
|
From page 66... ...
. A reference date for an administrative records census requires careful study because various administrative records databases are updated at different times for different reasons and would have varying degrees of completeness if used for a specific census date.
|
From page 67... ...
The experience of other countries provides little applicable information for the potential costs in the United States, a country with no existing system and no uniform identification system across major records systems. Output from an administrative records census could be produced in a timely fashion and in a manner similar to that from a conventional census.
|
From page 68... ...
The issue of privacy and confidentiality of administrative records requires considerable investigation before one could consider the replacement of the conventional census with an administrative records census. The panel does not make a judgment about what the public acceptability would be for an administrative records census.
|
From page 69... ...
Postal Service, or to postal customers who pay the costs, for letter carriers to contribute their time without reimbursement. Overall, the cost of letter carriers is much higher than census enumerators, on an average hourly basis, and would significantly increase census costs.
|
From page 70... ...
Postal Service administration of the field operations of the census. Privacy issues might affect what letter carriers can do in obtaining information from nonrespondents.
|
From page 71... ...
In a rolling census design, different parts of the population would be surveyed every year. Several variants of a rolling census design have been proposed.
|
From page 72... ...
. The cost of a rolling census would be more stable and less peaked than a conventional census.
|
From page 73... ...
that appear to be best collected at one point in time. A rolling census provides little advantage for overall census data and is likely to cost much more than the conventional census.
|
From page 74... ...
for a review of the use of population registers, in association with administrative records, for censuses. 2International migration also affects the conventional census, which counts all residents of the United States at the time of the census, including illegal immigrants.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.