The Census..don't You Think It's Just A Tad Too Personal?

[Mads]

I can understand that they need a 'head count', but why do they need to know if you have a mortgage or not?I wonder just how confidential all this information is going to be.Did you find the questions a bit too 'personal'?

[Cocidius]

Much more was asked in years past The government only releases aggregate demographic information immediately following the census. This is used for Congressional redistricting and funding formulas used by other federal agencies.   Your specific information(the census detailed information) is kept private for a period of 72 years. It will be made public in 2082.   The questions this year are rather limited. This is what was asked 100 years ago in the 1910 census:         Location:   Street, avenue, road, etc.   House number(in cities and towns). 1. Number of dwelling in order of visitation. 2. Number of family, in order of visitation. 3. Name of each person whose place of abode on April 15, 1910, was in this family. Enter surname first, then the given name and middle initial, if any. Include every person living on April 15, 1910. Omit children born since April 15, 1910. 4. Relationship of this person to the head of the family.     Personal description: 5. Sex. 6. Color or race. 7. Age at last birthday. 8. Whether single, married, widowed, or divorced. 9. Number of years of present marriage   Mother of how many children:. 10. Number born. 11. Number now living.     Nativity:   Place of birth of each person and parents of each person enumerated. If born in the United States, give the state or territory. If of foreign birth, give the Country. 12. Place of birth of this person. 13. Place of birth of father of this person. 14. Place of birth of mother of this person.     Citizenship: 15. Year of immigration to the United States. 16. Whether naturalized or alien. 17. Whether able to speak English; or, if not, give language spoken.     Occupation: 18. Trade or profession of, or particular kind of work done by this person, as spinner, salesman, laborer, etc.. 19. General nature of industry, business, or establishment in which this person works, as cotton mill, dry goods store, farm, etc.. 20. Whether an employer, employee, or working on own account. If an employee: 21. Whether out of work on April 15, 1910. 22. Number of weeks out of work during year 1909.     Education: 23. Whether able to read. 24. Whether able to write. 25. Attended school any time since September 1, 1909.     Ownership of home: 26. Owned or rented. 27. Owned free or mortgaged. 28. Farm or house. 29. Number of farm schedule.    30.   Whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy.  31.   Whether blind(both eyes).   32.   Whether deaf and dumb.      63swc 59 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Ailbert]

Ack... submitted by my dog before I was done! The questions of owning versus renting and relationship to head of house are also standard. In the 30's they wanted to know if you had a radio! Since the feds pretty much know all this from other sources, I didn't feel spied on at all.

[Valerio]

The government only releases aggregate demographic information immediately following the census. This is used for Congressional redistricting and funding formulas used by other federal agencies.   Your specific information(the census detailed information) is kept private for a period of 72 years. It will be made public in 2082.   The questions this year are rather limited. This is what was asked 100 years ago in the 1910 census:         Location:   Street, avenue, road, etc.   House number(in cities and towns). 1. Number of dwelling in order of visitation. 2. Number of family, in order of visitation. 3. Name of each person whose place of abode on April 15, 1910, was in this family. Enter surname first, then the given name and middle initial, if any. Include every person living on April 15, 1910. Omit children born since April 15, 1910. 4. Relationship of this person to the head of the family.     Personal description: 5. Sex. 6. Color or race. 7. Age at last birthday. 8. Whether single, married, widowed, or divorced. 9. Number of years of present marriage   Mother of how many children:. 10. Number born. 11. Number now living.     Nativity:   Place of birth of each person and parents of each person enumerated. If born in the United States, give the state or territory. If of foreign birth, give the Country. 12. Place of birth of this person. 13. Place of birth of father of this person. 14. Place of birth of mother of this person.     Citizenship: 15. Year of immigration to the United States. 16. Whether naturalized or alien. 17. Whether able to speak English; or, if not, give language spoken.     Occupation: 18. Trade or profession of, or particular kind of work done by this person, as spinner, salesman, laborer, etc.. 19. General nature of industry, business, or establishment in which this person works, as cotton mill, dry goods store, farm, etc.. 20. Whether an employer, employee, or working on own account. If an employee: 21. Whether out of work on April 15, 1910. 22. Number of weeks out of work during year 1909.     Education: 23. Whether able to read. 24. Whether able to write. 25. Attended school any time since September 1, 1909.     Ownership of home: 26. Owned or rented. 27. Owned free or mortgaged. 28. Farm or house. 29. Number of farm schedule.    30.   Whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy.  31.   Whether blind(both eyes).   32.   Whether deaf and dumb.     

[Dhanvant]

I'm inclined to not trust the government with guaranteeing the safety of information they have about me, regardless of any statutes that claim to do so, seeing how so many congressmen and senators violate the same laws they've sworn to uphold it's enough to create a cynic of American citizens.  Bush 43 even claimed he would be uneasy about filling in all questions on the last census but what irks me most is the race questions.  Ideally we would live in a colorblind and genderblind society to perpetuate this ethos of 'equality' but it's easier to accept the blending of the races, which is quite obvious, than the blending of the sexes that might or might not happen and definately isn't going to happen in our lifetime.  If I cannot trust the govt. to be fair about one aspect of social change how can I expect it to be fair about another?  Into the trash my census goes.

[Terrence]

Huh? Your name, age and race?? They asked more detailed questions than that from 1850 - 1930!! I hope that in 80 years, the poor genealogists will be able to find more details somewhere since the census won't help much.

[Dong-Sun]

I have no idea. It was received, filled out and mailed without my even seeing it.

[Bartholomew]

unixcorn said: 2 Huh? Your name, age and race?? They asked more detailed questions than that from 1850 - 1930!! I hope that in 80 years, the poor genealogists will be able to find more details somewhere since the census won't help much. 59 months ago

[Fitzgibbon]

Poppet! said: 1 I have no idea. It was received, filled out and mailed without my even seeing it. 59 months ago