| The Redistrict Network |
The United States Census
The decennial census, set to be conducted on April 1, 2020, aims to fulfill the fundamental goal of the Census Bureau: “Count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.” This extensive effort, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, will for the first time include an online survey response option and involves four distinct phases: Establishing where to count; motivating people to respond; counting the population; and releasing the census results.
Conducted on a national scale once every 10 years, the census informs countless federal, state and local political processes and decisions, in addition to driving planning in the private sector. The scope of its impact includes:
1. Determining the allocation of federal and state funding2. Planning for infrastructure, services and programs
3. Informing private-sector decision making
4. Impacting the conclusions of research and advocates
5. And perhaps most important, revising the allocation of seats in Congress and in state legislative bodies.
In this section, you will find educational materials and resources that will help inform/ ensure a proper census count and consequently fair redistricting.
