SOC 170: Quiz #2

What is undercount? - when statistics are derived from a sample of the population rather then the full Census count - when certain sub-populations are more likely to be left out of the Census count than other groups - when the government allocates fewer Representatives to a state than its enumerated population is warranted

when certain sub-populations are more likely to be left out of the Census cohnt than other groups an undercount of the Census indicates that some sub-populations such as particular age categories or members of specific ethnic/racial groups - are less likely to be counted by the Census than other groups

Which of the following is not an official use of Census data? - allocation of resources back to geographic areas - determination of tax rates - representation to decision-making bodies

determination of tax rates The # of people enumerated by the Census is used to govern the fair distribution of resources and political representation across geographic areas. A large share of federal funds are allocated proportional to the size of the population in a geographic area. Likewise, the # of U.S. Congressional Representatives is allocated to each state proportional to its population size.

What was the primary concern about adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census? - there was concern that including a new question would make the Census too long - there were concerns that the results would be used to introduce new immigration quotas - concerns that immigrant families would avoid the Census or respond inaccurately

there were concerns that immigrant families - with or without documentation - would avoid the Census or respond inaccurately In 2019, the Supreme Court rejected the U.S. government's request to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census. In their decision, they cited concerns from the statistical community that the inclusion of a citizenship question would lead to a substantial undercount of the foreign born population. Prior studies that immigrants - with and without documentation - would be more likely to either respond incorrectly or not submit a Census form if the question was included.