The US Census Bureau: The American Community Survey

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Collecting census data started as early as the 1790s and is a recurring process that takes places every decade in the U.S. The U.S. Census Bureau was officially and permanently established under William Rush Merriam in the U.S. Department of Interior(“Agency History”). Since its first days the U.S. Census Bureau has strived to provide “quality data about the nation’s people and economy,” for America(“About Us”). As the times have been changing so has the U.S Census Bureau. From collecting long form questionnaires since the nineteenth century, the Census Bureau has come a long way(“1890”). The vague information collected is used to make available crucial data that can be supplemental in making data maps by providing as well as providing valuable …show more content…
In fact, there are around 30 surveys now that are circulated throughout the U.S. almost annually.(“Are You”).

One of these surveys, and one of the most important ones, preceding the decennial census is the American Community Survey(ACS) (“Are You”). The American Community Survey was created to make-up for the lack of current information provided by the Census, which was only administered every ten years. But what exactly is the American Community Survey? According to the U.S. Census Bureau the American Community Survey is an annual survey used to collect “accurate, up-to-date,” data on American communities to meet the futuristic and socioeconomic needs of the U.S. Like the New York Times article said, ”It is the largest (and only) data set of its kind and is used across the federal government,” to glean the amount of funding that would be given to states and …show more content…
By conducting the Community Survey the Census Bureau is able to gather information that is used to make a report that contains 3 sections: “household incomes, earnings of men and women, and poverty estimates,”, frankly speaking, information on the different types of people that are in America. (Bishaw, Semega, 2)(“Compass Understanding”). Information like this can then be used by the national government to determine how and where the hard earned tax money of many go. With the data that is collected every year through the American Community Survey the Census Bureau releases PUMS,the Public use Microdata Sample that like its title, provides massive amount of “pretabulated data from the ACS,” (‘Compass Understanding”). This data has in the past helped in many cases one such case was Houston’s gain of a Japanese plant. The document released by the Census Bureau on understanding and using the American Community Survey data carries onto tell us about the confidentiality of the data that is surveyed and released by the American Community Survey, thus opposing the fears of people who are “victims” of the survey. Returning to the benefits of the ACS, George F. Will of the New York Times writes of one global benefit that came from the data that was given by the Census Bureau. Will writes about the Japanese plant that Houston gained partially by the help of the statistics
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