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Many of the detailed socio-economic and housing questions on the American Community Survey can trace their genesis back to the 19th century, some even earlier. James Madison, Father of the Constitution and fourth U.S. president, ensured that the Constitution authorized Congress to include questions in the census that provided the level of detail needed to effectively govern the new country.
We are asking federal agencies – the primary data users – to detail their specific data needs, especially as those needs relate to four particular questions on the survey: respondents’ income, disability status, journey to work and household plumbing facilities. We also are asking for details from state, local and tribal governments, along with the business community. We need to know if the American Community Survey is the only suitable vehicle to collect the information each question generates.
We are working with the Office of Management and Budget to establish criteria for evaluating all reported data uses. This will factor in elements such as whether the data are required by federal law, whether the data are needed to manage a required program, and whether the data are needed for small geographies. We encourage you to provide feedback about your or your organization’s data needs. Ultimately, the findings will form the basis of recommendations for the future of the survey. Our goal is that the ACS would provide the most useful information with the least amount of burden. To follow this process and sign up for updates, visit our ACS Content Review web page.
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