Census Reports Less Backlash Than Expected

Jessica Rettig

Nearly 3 out of 4 households returned their census forms. Now, the others should expect a knock on the door

It's halftime in the 2010 Census, and the anticipated political backlash doesn't seem to have materialized. Seventy-two percent of households returned their forms by mail, a better-than-expected response rate. However, as census workers begin their house visits on May 1, the count's endgame success depends on whether remaining households are willing to open their doors to census takers.

Census Bureau Director Robert Groves says that he had expected that the mail portion of the 2010 Census -- the largest single mailing effort ever -- would follow the steadily declining global survey participation trends. But the mail-return rate is comparable to that of the last census a decade ago, and the bureau remains under budget so far. "This is a great surprise to me," he says.

This year's census effort has been supplemented by partnerships with over 225,000 local and national organizations around the country. The Census Bureau itself devoted approximately $1 per person in communications and outreach through its own publicity campaign, and with help from its partners, which often use their own financial and human resources, census buzz has reached unprecedented levels over the past few months.

From local churches to major media organizations, such as Spanish-language Univision, to superstores like Target, census partners have reached out to ethnic and regional groups to encourage Americans to fill out and mail their forms. After the 2000 Census, the bureau estimated that nearly 3 percent of the Latino population went uncounted, compared to less than 1 percent of the general population. As a result, the group was targeted specifically in both neighborhood and nationwide promotions, such as iPhone apps and public service announcements with high-profile Latino actors.

Laura Norris, director of multicultural initiatives for electronics retailer Best Buy, says that her company recognized the importance of an accurate census, as the demographic data will be critical for understanding its customers in the future. Best Buy has aired Spanish-language public service announcements on its stores' high-definition television walls and, like many other businesses, leveraged the census's message online and on store fliers.

Apart from publicity, Groves says that replacement forms, especially in areas with historically low return rates, clearly worked this year. In addition, the bureau decided to only use its short forms in the decennial census, given the success of the annual American Community Surveys, a separate questionnaire, which seeks more detail from a small sample of the population. That was intended to make participation less time-consuming.

Some controversy arose over the use of the word "Negro" on the census form, for which Groves issued a public apology. The word was used in deference to some elderly African-Americans, he said. Yet, general political backlash toward the census -- due both to cost and to anti-government sentiment -- has been less than anticipated. Groves, perhaps reflecting the census motto "It's in our hands," says that it's up to the American people to save money by cooperating. Going forward, each census taker's visit costs almost $60, so opening doors on the first visit will help hold down the final census cost. As Groves explains, "If you're a good-hearted resident of the country, and you want efficient federal agency activities, when you get the knock on the door, open the door."

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