U.S. census data uses

Abstract

Fast on the heels of its bicentennial census, the U.S. Census Bureau is at a crossroad with regard to how it will conduct the next census and which data needs it will satisfy in the year 2000 and beyond. Responsible for assessing and reconciling data users' interests across the nation, but attaching priority to its constitutional mandate and the statistical needs of federal agencies, the Census Bureau has undertaken research and development for the next census at the earliest point ever in a decennial cycle. The crossroad is formed by the intersection of a myriad of data applications, on the one hand, and a complex of technical and operational concerns, on the other. This paper presents an overview of the data uses of recent censuses, focusing upon 1990. Will it be the last of its kind? While this question remains unanswered for the time being, it is imperative that the data users, prime stakeholders and investors in the census, participate in appraising the legacy of their nation's founders.