by Jae June Lee, Sheila Naughton and Cara Brumfield | May 26, 2021 | Brief
Census data are essential to equitable distribution of political power and federal resources for programs that support economic security, health, education, and more. In the years between each census, the Census Bureau produces annually-updated estimates of the nation’s population using the most recent census count as a starting point. To improve the quality of these updated population estimates, the bureau provides Tribal, state, and local governments with opportunities to identify and address a limited range of mistakes. These opportunities include the Count Question Resolution (CQR) and Population Estimates Challenge (Challenge) programs. This brief provides a clear description of these programs (and their limitations) to help stakeholders understand and engage in these opportunities to pursue more accurate population estimates.
by William P. O'Hare and Jae June Lee | Apr 13, 2021 | Report, Working Paper
The goal of the decennial census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. However, the Census Bureau has historically overcounted certain groups—including white people—while undercounting others—including people of color, young children, and people experiencing homelessness. These gaps undermine the fairness of the census and contribute to an inequitable distribution of political power and federal resources for programs that support economic security, health, and education. This working paper examines the self-response rates to the 2020 Census by various socio-economic, demographic, and housing characteristics in order to gain timely insights into the potential accuracy of the 2020 Census. The paper finds that the 2020 Census likely will contain similar inaccuracies seen in past censuses.
by Jae June Lee and Cara Brumfield | Feb 15, 2021 | Fact Sheet
The Census Bureau is modernizing its confidentiality protections for census responses. At the heart of this new approach is a mathematical definition of confidentiality called “differential privacy.” This fact sheet—published jointly with Data & Society and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights—provides a brief introduction to differential privacy, outlines the implications of the changes for data users, and encourages stakeholders to provide feedback to the Census Bureau.
by William P. O'Hare, Cara Brumfield and Jae June Lee | Oct 9, 2020 | Report
It is perhaps more important today than ever for stakeholders to understand the key approaches and methods for measuring the accuracy of the decennial census. The 2020 Census faces extraordinary challenges that will impact its fairness and accuracy. The likely consequences may skew political representation and the allocation of federal funds for the next decade and affect an array of other crucial uses of census data. To help stakeholders better engage in public discussions of census accuracy and related actions, this preliminary report introduces measures and methods for evaluating census accuracy, assesses their relative strengths and weaknesses, and provides key historical context needed for interpreting the results of the census.
by Jaboa Lake, Jae June Lee, Megan Maury and Cara Brumfield | Oct 5, 2020 | Report
The Census Bureau has struggled to accurately count people experiencing homelessness in decennial censuses. Due to the unprecedented challenges of conducting the 2020 Census during the COVID-19 pandemic, people experiencing homelessness were likely undercounted and miscounted at even higher rates than in previous decades. These undercounts and miscounts may undermine the fair allocation of federal funding for public programs and services—such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers—that help people experiencing homelessness attain a decent standard of living. This report, published jointly with the Center for American Progress and the National LGBTQ Task Force, explains why the 2020 Census may have undercounted people experiencing homelessness, outlines consequences for public programs, and offers preliminary recommendations for how to improve counts of people experiencing homelessness for the 2030 Census.
by Cara Brumfield and Jae June Lee | Jul 27, 2020 | Article
As the nation’s first “digital” census, the 2020 Census will employ cutting-edge methodologies and technologies to improve the efficiency, cost, and accuracy. With consequences for determining the allocation of political power and financial resources, it is essential that the Census Bureau complete a fair and accurate count, particularly in communities historically missed in the census. This article, published in the Georgetown Law Technology Review, provides census stakeholders an overview of some of the opportunities and challenges presented by the use of big data and digital technologies in census taking.
by Jae June Lee and Cara Brumfield | Apr 22, 2020 | Fact Sheet
The decennial census is key to the distribution of political power in the United States. The count is the basis for the apportionment–the distribution of seats in the House of Representatives to the states according to their populations. In this joint fact sheet from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, we provide an overview of the official apportionment process and timeline as a resource for census stakeholders.
by Erika Hudson and Jae June Lee | Nov 27, 2019 | Fact Sheet
The Census Bureau is working to ensure that the 2020 Census will be accessible for everyone. This FAQ—published jointly with the National Disability Rights Network—provides answers to questions we see most often about census operations and accessibility.
by Jae June Lee and Cara Brumfield | Nov 6, 2019 | Fact Sheet
Census data are critical for advancing environmental justice and climate action. Researchers, advocates, and policymakers rely on accurate census data to identify the disparate impacts of the climate crisis, enforce an array of environmental protections, and ensure programs meet the needs (both short- and long-term) of diverse communities. This fact sheet is published jointly with WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation.
by Jae June Lee, Erika Hudson and Cara Brumfield | Jun 26, 2019 | Brief
This issue brief, published jointly with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), describes the importance of counting people with disabilities in the 2020 census. The brief also explores how people with disabilities will be counted and related challenges. If this population is not counted accurately, the result may be unequal political representation and unequal access to vital public and private resources for people with disabilities and their communities.
