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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 10 July 2024
‘This is break glass in case of emergency stuff’: Analysts alarmed

by threats to U.S. data gathering

By MIKE SCHNEIDER access, family life, income
Associated Press and education levels.
Inadequate funding and It typically requires more
controversial measures in than three follow-up con-
a budget bill could threat- tacts to get a response. The
en what Americans know Current Population Survey
about themselves through takes about 2.5 follow-up
federal data gathering, contacts.
statisticians and demogra- If the 2020 census had been
phers warn in a new report limited to only two invita-
and a letter to U.S. congres- tions to respondents to par-
sional leaders. ticipate, the nation’s head
“Our bottom-line assess- count would have missed 17
ment is that federal statistics million households, the Cen-
are at risk,” says the report sus Project said in its letter.
released Tuesday by the “If the Census Bureau is
American Statistical Asso- constrained in the number
ciation in partnership with of contacts it can make,
George Mason University. the data will become com-
The report says a majority pletely unreliable,” Plyer
of the 13 principal U.S. sta- said. “Data doesn’t grow
tistical agencies have lost A census taker’s briefcase is visible as she knocks on doors, Aug. 11, 2020, in Winter Park, Fla. on trees. It doesn’t magi-
Associated Press
more than 14% of their pur- cally come to us. This bed-
chasing power in the last 15 in surveys and the census. countless economic deci- mation on such things as rock information cannot be
years, limiting their ability to “This is ‘break glass in case sions by gathering infor- commuting times, internet replicated.” q
innovate. of emergency’ level stuff,”
Better protections against said Allison Plyer, chief de-
political meddling also are mographer at The Data
needed for the agencies Center, a research non-
that calculate everything profit based in New Orleans.
from the monthly unem- The measure omitting peo-
ployment rate to the once- ple in the country illegally
a-decade head count that is unconstitutional, and
determines the distribution placing limits on how many
of political power and $2.8 times respondents can be
trillion in government fund- contacted would have a
ing, according to the re- “devastating” impact on
port. data quality by missing
Ahead of the 2020 census, many more people, the
for instance, the Trump ad- leaders of the Census Proj-
ministration tried to add a ect, a coalition of business,
citizenship question to the civil rights and local govern-
census questionnaire. Even ment groups said in a letter
though it was stopped by last week to leaders of the
the U.S. Supreme Court, House Committee on Ap-
some experts believe the propriations.
controversy contributed to During Tuesday’s House
an almost 5% undercount hearing, Democratic law-
of the Hispanic population makers tried to remove the
during the nation’s head language omitting people
count. in the country illegally but
Meanwhile, other advo- the amendment failed.
cates and users of federal While defending the mea-
data are worried about an sure, U.S. Rep. Andrew
appropriations bill being Clyde, R-Ga., said including
considered by the GOP- them in the apportionment
controlled House Commit- count “is just wrong.”
tee on Appropriations on The language in the appro-
Tuesday. priations bill would restrict
The bill would omit people contact by agencies to no
in the country illegally from more than two times for the
the count used to redraw census and surveys includ-
political districts even ing the American Commu-
though the 14th Amend- nity Survey and the Current
ment requires “counting the Population Survey, which
whole number of persons” helps determine the month-
in each place. ly unemployment rate.
And it would limit how many The American Community
times a respondent can be Survey is the most compre-
contacted by agencies hensive survey of American
seeking their participation life, providing the basis for