Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the next decennial census is to be conducted in 2010. Yet, the question as to how all U.S. residents are to be counted is already the subject of growing political disputes.
The census is to count citizens, non-citizens, legal residents, long-term visitors, and illegal immigrants. Since an unknown quantity of migrants and homeless people has never been counted, agencies and individuals concerned about the census results are demanding that the Census Bureau uses statistical models to estimate the number of persons not counted and to add them to the numerical total.
The inclusion of non-citizens in the official census is particularly controversial since the figures are used for the next apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and the determination of the number of each state’s electors in the Electoral College. Census data are also factored into formulas for numerous federally funded programs.
Republicans tend to fear that if census procedures are controlled by the Democratic administration, representation for predominantly Democratic districts may increase. Census critics also argue that counting prison inmates as residents of prisons, rather than by their pre-incarceration addresses, may distort data about residence and race.
Since the Census Bureau operates under the Department of Commerce, its Secretary may potentially use his authority to change census procedures. In the meantime, however, the White House has made it known that it wants to “work closely” with the census director, potentially bypassing the secretary of commerce.
Possible White House involvement in census decisions recently came to the forefront when Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire accepted President Obama’s invitation to join his administration. Ironically, in 1955 Senator Gregg had voted in favor of abolishing the Commerce Department and opposed President Clinton over the funding of the 2000 census. One has to wonder if the President knew of those facts when he considered Gregg to head Commerce.
While the fiscally conservative Gregg agreed to join the Obama administration, many Republican Congressmen became concerned that Gregg would have to accept White House control over policy changes under consideration for the 2010 census. To prevent that, they pressed him to reconsider accepting his appointment. He relented and resigned only a week after the President nominated him.
In a news conference, Senator Gregg explained: “It just became clear to me that it would be very difficult, day in and day out, to serve in this Cabinet, or any Cabinet for that matter, and be part of a team and not be able to be 100 percent with the team, 110 percent with the team.” He added: "I readily admit that this was a huge error on my part in seeing what is obvious, which is that, for 30 years, I've been myself, and it would be virtually impossible for me to step into a situation where I couldn't be myself."
Although he tried to play down the significance of a partisan scrap over the next census, the controversy did kick up divisive arguments about Gregg’s suitability as Secretary of Commerce. The Congressional Black Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials also questioned Gregg’s interest in fully counting racial and ethnic minorities.
While the Gregg resignation is hardly a big loss for the Obama administration, the continuing politicization of the census is a serious threat to its integrity. Surely, Rahm Emanuel, the clever White House chief of staff, stands ready to employ his expertise in district-level electoral politics to shape the census to his party’s advantage.