As mentioned in the previous blog post, a US census is required by the constitution every 10 years. What is the purpose of a census and why was it so important that the founding fathers were compelled to include it in the constitution?
Early during the drafting of the US Constitution it was recognized that population data would be needed about country for planning and legislation purposes. This data would prove useful in a number of ways from population density and migration patterns to social and economic trends.
The most well known reason for the census is the allotment of voting representatives elected by each state in the US House of Representatives. Unlike the other chamber of Congress, the US Senate, where each state is always represented by two Senators, the maximum number of congressmen (435) in the US House of Representatives is determined by the populations in each state. Population changes in a state compared to the total US population can cause an increase or decrease in the number of representatives from a state.
Ensure you are counted in the census. You can affect your state’s representation in congress over a 10-year span!