United States Census Bureau

U.S. Census Bureau

Basic facts
Location:| Suitland, Md.
Top official:| John H. Thompson, Director
Year founded:| 1902
Website:| Official website

The United States Census Bureau is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is overseen by Economics and Statistics Administration. The organization works to collect statistical information on the population of the United States to be used for Congressional districting and the distribution of federal funds, among other uses.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 History
* 3 Work
* 4 Leadership
* 5 Top influencers by state
* 6 Recent news
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

## Mission[edit]

The website for the Census Bureau lists the following mission statement:[1]

“  | The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly.

We are guided on this mission by scientific objectivity, our strong and capable workforce, our devotion to research-based innovation, and our abiding commitment to our customers.[2]

| ”

|
|

## History[edit]

The U.S. Constitution requires that a census of the country's population be taken every 10 years. The first census was done in 1790, and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, this original census revealed "the need for useful information about the United States' population and economy." The census and data were controlled by a temporary census bureau until 1902, when a permanent bureau was established as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. When the Department of Commerce and Labor was established in 1903, the bureau moved there, and when it split into two separate departments a decade later, the Census Bureau remained with the Department of Commerce.[3]

## Work[edit]

The major work of the Census Bureau is to conduct a census of the total population every 10 years. The Bureau notes the intent of the census on its website, saying, "The census tells us who we are and where we are going as a nation. States use the census to redraw their congressional districts. Communities use it to plan where to build schools, roads, and hospitals. Governments use it to allot funds and support."[4]

The bureau also performs ongoing surveys and statistical analyses about the nation's communities, economics, and government agencies.[1] In addition, the organization tracks statistics on immigration to the United States, focusing on how many immigrants enter the United States, their characteristics, and how to define and measure international migration.[5]

## Leadership[edit]

The director of the U.S. Census bureau is John H. Thompson. Thompson was sworn in as director in August 2013 and previously worked at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago as president and chief executive officer.[6]

Nancy Potok, a former deputy under secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, serves as the Census Bureau's deputy director and chief operating officer.[7]

## Top influencers by state[edit]

Influencers in American politics are power players who help get candidates elected, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few.

In 2016, Ballotpedia identified United States Census Bureau as a top influencer by state. We identified top influencers across the country through several means, including the following:

* Local knowledge of our professional staff
* Surveys of activists, thought leaders and journalists from across the country and political spectrum
* Outreach to political journalists in each state who helped refine our lists

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Census Bureau'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

United States Census Bureau - Google News

## See also[edit]

* U.S. Department of Commerce
* United States census, 2020

## External links[edit]

* Census Bureau website
* Census Bureau on Twitter

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census Bureau, "What We Do," accessed May 31, 2016
2. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
3. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Agency History," accessed May 31, 2016
4. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census," accessed May 31, 2016
5. ↑ United Nations, "Current Activities Of The U.S. Census Bureau In The Area Of International Migration Statistics," accessed May 31, 2016
6. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "John H. Thompson," accessed May 31, 2016
7. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Nancy Potok," accessed May 31, 2016

v • e

Influencers

Main|

What is an influencer? Contact the Ballotpedia team