The Whole Story

The essential challenge for the Census is that because it happens only once every ten years, many Americans are unaware of when it happens (in March) and how they participate (by mail). Our own research in late 2009 showed less than 10% of Americans surveyed correctly answered that the 2010 Census occurred in March. The first goal of our promotion efforts is to raise awareness of the when and how the Census works. We have a very limited window of opportunity to achieve our goals Jan - April, and therefore need programming that delivers high ratings. We did not choose the Super Bowl at the expense of some other programming. We went where the audience was to be found, as part of a package with CBS.

The Super Bowl is the top-rated and most highly anticipated television event in the U.S. An ad running once in the Super Bowl has the potential to reach 45% adults over age 18. For comparison, CSI which is one of the top rated programs on television delivers a 6.6 rating with adults, which is a fraction of the reach of the Super Bowl. A 30 second spot on the top-rated regularly scheduled show in America, American Idol costs $450,000 and has a 9.5 rating, or just 9.5% of adults are watching. The Super Bowl reaches 100 million viewers at a very efficient price compared to other shows.

The Super Bowl is rare, in that viewers are just as tuned in to see the commercials as the program itself. Commercials that air on the Super Bowl have a multiplier effect. Advertisers are mentioned in multiple news media outlets and viewers will typically look to view them online almost immediately after airing. Therefore, airing once in the Super Bowl creates significant buzz leading to additional viewing potential.

Our media buy with CBS consists of (1) 30 second ad in the 3rd Quarter. CBS provided added value in the form of (2) more 30 second ads in the pre-game show and an additional (2-3) 12-second vignettes featuring James Brown delivering a message on behalf of the Census. We believe the message delivered by James Brown who is the host of the day, will carry great weight with viewers.

Finally, Super Bowl advertisers see a significant lift in internet searches which is a great opportunity for Census to drive traffic to 2010census.gov to further educate viewers on the Census.

The U.S. Constitution empowers the Congress to carry out the census in "such manner as they shall by Law direct" (Article I, Section 2). The founders of our fledgling nation had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. The plan was to count every person living in the newly created United States of America, and to use that count to determine representation in the Congress.

Enshrining this invention in our Constitution marked a turning point in world history. Previously censuses had been used mainly to tax or confiscate property or to conscript youth into military service. The genius of the Founders was taking a tool of government and making it a tool of political empowerment for the governed over their government.

They accomplished that goal in 1790 and our country has every 10 years since then. And we're about to continue that tradition in 2010. In 1954, Congress codified earlier census acts and all other statutes authorizing the decennial census as Title 13, U.S. Code. Title 13, U.S. Code, does not specify which subjects or questions are to be included in the decennial census. However, it does require the Census Bureau to notify Congress of general census subjects to be addressed 3 years before the decennial census and the actual questions to be asked 2 years before the decennial census.

Questions beyond a simple count are Constitutional

It is constitutional to include questions in the decennial census beyond those concerning a simple count of the number of people because, on numerous occasions, the courts have said the Constitution gives Congress the authority to collect statistics in the census. As early as 1870, the Supreme Court characterized as unquestionable the power of Congress to require both an enumeration and the collection of statistics in the census. The Legal Tender Cases, Tex.1870; 12 Wall., U.S., 457, 536, 20 L.Ed. 287. In 1901, a District Court said the Constitution's census clause (Art. 1, Sec. 2, Clause 3) is not limited to a headcount of the population and "does not prohibit the gathering of other statistics, if 'necessary and proper,' for the intelligent exercise of other powers enumerated in the constitution, and in such case there could be no objection to acquiring this information through the same machinery by which the population is enumerated."

All census workers undergo an FBI name background check, and we added a fingerprinting requirement for the first time for the 2010 Census as an extra precaution. These two security measures screened out about 16 percent of the more than hundreds of thousands of applicants for census operations in 2009. We are confident that these measures will make the 2010 Census the safest decennial census possible.

The 2010 Census will actually be one of the shortest and simplest in U.S. history. It will ask just 10 basic questions including:

• Name
• Sex
• Age and date of birth
• Hispanic origin
• Race
• Household relationship
• If you own or rent your home

It requires less personal information than a typical credit card application. For example, the 2010 Census does NOT ask about bank account information, salary or income, citizenship or immigration status, and we never ask you for your Social Security number.

The questions we do ask:

• help us make sure everyone is counted
• paint a portrait of America
• inform planning and funding decisions
• Explore the form online for a closer look.

The U.S. Constitution mandates us to count everyone, including both citizens and non-citizens. We’ve followed this mandate, since the first census in 1790. The Framers of the Constitution made it clear they wanted “all inhabitants” of the country counted in the U.S. Census, and every Presidential Administration since that time that has overseen a Census has interpreted the Constitution and the laws require everyone be counted.

Census information is protected by law, and everyone who works for the census must swear that they will never disclose any personal information. Penalties for any employee who might share that information are severe: up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. By law, the Census Bureau can’t share your information with anyone — including other federal agencies and law enforcement. Your information is safe.

A census questionnaire will be mailed to you. If you fill out the form and mail it back, no census taker will need to come to your residence. Most people mail back their form. The Census Bureau would rather get your form back in the mail, and you can help your country save money by sending it back.

A Census Bureau partner is simply an organization that has made a commitment to support the mission of the 2010 Census on a volunteer basis. Census partners are not census employees and have no responsibility for counting, collecting or processing census data. These are organizations that understand the importance of the census and want to help ensure that everyone is counted in 2010. None of the partners are paid by the Census bureau to help promote awareness with the public.

The Census Bureau is running the 2010 Census, and we report directly to the Secretary of Commerce, as we have for more than 100 years. The Secretary of Commerce in turn reports to the President, but the Census Bureau is conducting the census.

In fact, career scientists at the Bureau have been designing, testing and planning the 2010 Census for more than a decade, and we are on track with those plans for a successful and accurate count.

The Census Bureau plans to count everyone no matter where they live or what their current living situation may be. If your neighbor is living with friends or family, they will be counted in that household. The Census Bureau has special procedures to count everyone, including the homeless and those living in campgrounds, marinas or other unusual housing.

Not participating in the census could hurt your community. The U.S. census inherently benefits the people who are counted:

• The numbers give political representation to those who are counted
• Federal dollars are distributed based on the population count for services like education, transportation, health care and job training

Participating in the census is one of the most powerful ways of having a voice in the United States. Boycotting the census hurts you and your community.

We are committed to getting an accurate count of the population in a way that protects the confidentiality of respondents. Earlier in the decade, we researched an Internet option for 2010 and found that it:

• Didn’t provide enough protection for individual census responses
• Didn’t increase the percentage of people who responded
• Didn’t save money

We are designing a test of a secure Internet response option for the 2020 Census and other surveys. Meanwhile, the 2010 Census form is a quick 10-question form that is easy to complete and return by mail.