I would agree that initially the survey was, apparently, a randomly target effort to gather data. To my mind, it is wrongheaded, because that information is none of the government's business, either in the specific or the abstract, but that's just me.
The question is, has the selection methodology been changed to target more surveys to active opponents to the current administration, specifically, FReepers. If so, that would represent a huge problem.
While the Commerce survey has been around for quite some time the questions and info requested have become more invasive and personal under the current administration.
And as for being confidential that is not correct. The one I received was addressed to Resident and I was assured that it was confidential and I was selected randomly, that they did not have my name only my address. They guy that showed up to “assist” me in the survey knew that my name was Irish in origin, he left that in one of his notes. HARRASSMENT.
This article is similar to my experience:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/orwellian-american-community-survey