The Census is always under the control of the party in the White House. I don’t get what difference it makes whether the Commerce Department runs it or whether the White House runs it, its still Democrats for 2010.
I kinda wish Republican Judd Gregg had taken the job at Commerce just to be in those Cabinet meetings when the Census is under discussion in his role as Commerce Secretary, now Gates at Defense and LaHood at Treasury will be the only Republicans in the room.
Because the census creates political districts for TEN years...until the next census.
It isn’t just a 2 year thing.
Well yes except the Constitution of the U.S. places that power in the Legislative Branch. We would need an amendment to the Constitution in order for the Executive Branch to take control of it. Commerce is in the Legislative article.
Legislative Powers Article 1: The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct.
The difference is that when the Commerce department runs it, the rules and methods used to tally the numbers must be made public. The Executive is under no such rule. He doesn't have to tell you anything about how the numbers were arrived at. Did you knock on those millions of urban doors or did you use some special Al Gore science to figure it out?