The Decennial Census is the most important data collection activity undertaken by the U.S. federal statistical system. Because census data are used to apportion Congress and draw redistricting lines for thousands of state and local single-member districts to meet the one-person/one-vote guidelines, the census is at the heart of the political…

This paper examines various estimates of the Samoan population in the United States and assesses their relation to 1980 census data. Because Samoans were enumerated for the first time as a separate group, because there are no national records of Samoan births and deaths, and because there are no data on migration to the United States or movement…

New estimates are offered for each Southwestern region for 1850, the Southwest as a whole, and the entire United States. (NQ)

Challenges the reliability of data sets by pointing out the following pitfalls in major census data: (1) changes in the definition of racial/ethnic categories and (2) the question of gender in determining household composition, paid/unpaid work, occupation, employment status, and poverty. (SK)

The 61st edition of the "Texas Almanac" has a reputation as the definitive source for Texas information since 1857. It contains details of the Census 2000 official population count, including statewide, county and town counts, plus an analysis of the numbers by experts at Texas's State Data Center. It includes information about politics,…

Discusses the potential usefulness to researchers of two data sources made available by the Census Bureau: Public Use Samples which contain data on individuals and households, and, the Annual Demographic Files, which cover all population groups and contain much demographic and socioeconomic data. (Author/JM)

Discusses how the federal government collects and publishes ethnic and racial data and the problems and potential consequences inherent in revising ethnic and racial categories for census taking purposes. Problems stemming from racial self-identification and minority leadership backlash are explored, as well as the implications for American group…

Provides evidence that the Creek Nation's population increased during the late eighteenth century following a low point about 1750. Uses linear regression to project the Creek Indian population before the 1813-14 Creek War. Suggests that basic demographic factors may have played an important role in precipitating the Creek War. (SB)

This publication provides census questionnaires and instructions for decennial censuses beginning in 1790 and ending in 2000. It also presents a history of the decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000 and offers individual histories of the U.S. census from the first (1790) to the sixteenth (1940). The publication discusses the seventeenth (1950),…

This article reports on the nature of and reasons for the forthcoming changes in presentation, classification, and estimating procedures in labor force data derived from the Current Population Survey. Changes involve resident armed forces, new occupational classifications, conversion to Black-only data, and revision of first-stage ratio estimator.…

Public Law 94-311, passed by Congress in 1976, called for the expansion of statistics reflecting the socioeconomic status of Hispanics. The article discusses the state of the Hispanic community in early 1979, one agency's difficulties in implementing the mandates of P.L. 94-311, and the status of other agencies' work on the law's requirements. (NQ)

Comments on the importance of the census to the constitutional process. Stresses the census' origin and the importance of the 1990 Census. Remarks on the involvement of the National Council for the Social Studies' (NCSS) efforts to increase educators awareness of the 1990 Census. (LS)

Argues that, since at least 1969, the Census Bureau, under pressure from political special interest groups, has misrepresented the "racial" character of the U.S. population and has misplaced 6 to 8 million persons of Native American ancestry into a scientifically useless "Hispanic/Spanish" category. Contains approximately 45…

Gives a brief history of the U.S. census. Outlines attempts to make the 1990 census the most accurate in history by using a computerized mapping system, and describes special efforts to count the homeless and the transient populations. Suggests how educators may adapt materials offered by the government to their classrooms. (LS)

Examines the importance of the census to the management of a democratic government. States that the census has historically served as a means for apportioning representatives among the states and preventing corruption in political representation. Provides suggestions for teaching about the census in government classes. (LS)