And regarding whether the Constitution details the information to be collected in the Census, yes it does, in Article I, section 2 -- it is for an enumeration (or counting) every ten years, for the sole purpose of determining House of Representative representation according to the population counted. There is nothing about race or gender or name or telephone number or housing, etc. So the ONLY thing that was legitimate & constitutional in the current census form was question #1...How many people reside at the residence as of April 1.
ps. I just got back from the weekend. I did not see any more notices of a census worker stopping by. Maybe they will be back this week....I hope so!!!
The first census of the United States was conducted in 1790. For that enumeration, the name of the Head of Household was recorded and the numbers of people living in that household broken down by age group, sex, and whether free or not. Electors could only be free male adults, and usually a property requirement. For the purposes of congressional representation, free persons counted more than slaves. The name of the Head of Household was required to ensure that a proper count had been done. That system, with changes in age groupings continued through 1840.
In 1850, for the first time, the names of all free members of a household were recorded. A separate slave schedule was also prepared. Other information was also provided including age, place of birth, birthplace of parents, value of property, etc. Over the years the information collected has varied but has included name, age, place of birth. Since the census is frequently the only public record that contains this information organized by family groups, this data has become very important for family research.
The census is a public record, but it is embargoed for 72 years in order to protect the private information of the adults enumerated in the census year. The 1930 census became available in 2002, 1940 will be released in 2012 (An interesting Census, the last before all of the demographic changes of WWII). Many other public records are available at your local court house, some of it embargoed and some not. Depends on local and state laws. Most people know the names of their parents and grandparents. Beyond that it gets sketchy depending on the family. That’s where the census has proven to be invaluable.
The Constitution requires enumeration, whether or not that other information can be collected is the question. Certainly, these days the government knows much more about you than is contained on the census form. You can bet that when you apply for that Social Security Check and Medicare you are going to be giving the government lots of private information. I don’t have a problem with the current form, but the periodic survey is another matter. Although administered by the Census Bureau, its not the enumeration.