Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Census experts puzzled by high rate of unanswered questions
The Associated Press ^ | August 8, 2021 | By MIKE SCHNEIDER (D-AP)

Posted on 08/08/2021 1:09:27 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

Census Bureau statisticians and outside experts are trying to unravel a mystery: Why were so many questions about households in the 2020 census left unanswered?

Residents did not respond to a multitude of questions about sex, race, Hispanic background, family relationships and age, even when providing a count of the number of people living in the home, according to documents released by the agency. Statisticians had to fill in the gaps.

Reflecting an early stage in the number crunching, the documents show that 10% to 20% of questions were not answered in the 2020 census, depending on the question and state. According to the Census Bureau, later phases of processing show the actual rates were lower.

The rates have averaged 1% to 3% in 170 years of previous U.S. censuses, according to University of Minnesota demographer Steven Ruggles.

Confusion over some questions, including traditional uncertainty among Hispanics about how to answer the race question, may have been a factor, but some experts hint at a more sinister possibility. They say the Trump administration’s attempt to end the count early and failed efforts to put a citizenship question on the form and exclude people who were in the U.S. illegally had a chilling effect.

“I think it’s the pandemic and Trump. The very threat that citizenship was on the questionnaire, the very notion it might have been on it, may have deterred some Latinos from filling it out,” said Andrew Beveridge, a sociologist at Queens College and the City University of New York Graduate School and University Center. “I think a lot of us are flabbergasted by it. It is a very high number.”

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cancelculture; census; journalism; press
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

1 posted on 08/08/2021 1:09:27 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Because we know it will be used to divide us into warring camps instead of uniting us.

Next question!


2 posted on 08/08/2021 1:10:49 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy." ― Mao Zedong)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

“These blank responses left holes in the data which we had to fill,” Jarmin said.


Think about it.....................


3 posted on 08/08/2021 1:12:00 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
Statisticians had to fill in the gaps.

Probably borrowed their statisticians from the CDC. They are well-versed in making stuff up.

4 posted on 08/08/2021 1:12:06 PM PDT by The Iceman Cometh (F*ck Joe Biden!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Because NOYB.


5 posted on 08/08/2021 1:12:42 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Because privacy and “safe databases” are as quaint a concept as horse and buggies—and some folks have figured it out...


6 posted on 08/08/2021 1:14:15 PM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
The rates have averaged 1% to 3% in 170 years of previous U.S. censuses...

That's because they used to ask only a few simple questions relevant to the census: the names and ages of people living in the household; the ages of you, your spouse, and children (or birth dates); your sex; your religion, your home country; your parents' home country; your occupation; whether you rent or own; and your annual income. These questions were never all asked in the same census -- they came and went.

I've looked at a lot of census forms the past couple years as part of my genealogical research.

7 posted on 08/08/2021 1:15:31 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Criminal democrats kill babies. Do you think anything else is a problem for them?” ~ joma89)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

“Statisticians had to fill in the gaps” ?!?!?!?!?


8 posted on 08/08/2021 1:16:31 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Iceman Cometh

<>Residents did not respond to a multitude of questions about sex, race, Hispanic background, family relationships and age, even when providing a count of the number of people living in the home<>

Due to the questions above, I haven’t participated since 1990. The 2000 in-person census taker in particular got nasty. She spouted off the various laws I was violating.


9 posted on 08/08/2021 1:16:37 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

The Constitution just requires a count.
But, whatever.

It’s Trump’s fault !


10 posted on 08/08/2021 1:18:48 PM PDT by A strike (Barr to Gitmo, Roberts to Florence supermax, HerrDoktor FauxiGates to TerreHaute)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I only answer the questions that I’m legally required to.


11 posted on 08/08/2021 1:20:48 PM PDT by Keyhopper (Indians had bad immigration laws)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jacquerie

Since I moved out of my parents’ house in 1973, the only census that has ever counted me was 2010, and then they only got the information that there were two adults in the household.


12 posted on 08/08/2021 1:21:59 PM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Why ask U.S.? China has more information to the US citizens than our government does.


13 posted on 08/08/2021 1:23:50 PM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Andrew Beveridge sure has a low opinion of Latinos/Hispanics.

One of those liberals who thinks POCs are too stupid to survive without his help.


14 posted on 08/08/2021 1:26:14 PM PDT by TigersEye (Who shot Ashli Babbitt?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Maybe they considered the response, “Kiss my ass”, an unanswered question. Just sayin’ ...


15 posted on 08/08/2021 1:27:46 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam (While the foundations are being destroyed, what are the righteous doing?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I refused to answer any of the race questions. I did it online and I was forced to put something in so I put in “Other” and filled “refuse to answer” when the text box came up.

All they need is name, sex, and DOB. The race questions are just a means to collect information to help divide us and is not any of the government’s business.


16 posted on 08/08/2021 1:30:18 PM PDT by Flying Circus (God help us )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PghBaldy

“Statisticians had to fill in the gaps” ?!?!?!?!?

Like was done in November for that vote thingie.


17 posted on 08/08/2021 1:34:25 PM PDT by John Milner (Marching for Peace is like breathing for food. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

Why would they manipulate the election, but not the census? There’s just as much to steal by manipulating representation as there is the vote.


18 posted on 08/08/2021 1:37:59 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer
A friend of mine in New Jersey has been working for the Census Bureau since last fall. He goes door-to-door to ask a number of questions and a good percentage of households refuse to talk to him at all and a good percentage of those who do talk to him refuse to answer some of those questions.
19 posted on 08/08/2021 1:41:18 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Covid Is All About Mail In Balloting)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

As a matter of fact, they asked a lot of intruding questions. I was quite uneasy why they asked them. However, the most important question - are you a citizen? They have not asked. I found this weird!
If you counting US population, that question should be the first to be asked!


20 posted on 08/08/2021 1:41:25 PM PDT by AZJeep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0AHGreco RomNQkryIIs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-67 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson