2010 Census Questionnaire

The census year has arrived and there are a few census answers required by law which you need to divulge, even if you consider them to be personal. This exercise is carried once every ten years so that the government can get a precise idea of the social indicators of the country, be it the population growth, economic situation of the people or the number of males and females in the country. Many people are apprehensive about the whole exercise as it would separate the population on the grounds of race, but still they have to cooperate with the authorities and give the correct answers.

As per the constitution of the U.S. the Congress has the power to direct the way in which the census is conducted. The Congress has ruled that if an individual willfully neglects the census questions required to be answered, he or she can be fined for US$100 and if you give a wrong answer deliberately, then you can be fined for US$500.

2010 US Census Questions you Ought to Answer

The Census questionnaire consists of 10 questions. They are mentioned below.

Number of People Staying in the House as on April 1, 2010
This question is asked so that the government gets an idea of the accurate number of people in each household as on April 1, 2010. This information is used to ensure accuracy of response and to get in touch with the respondents whose forms are missing or have incomplete information.

Name of any Other Persons Who used to Live in the House till April 1, 2010, Whose Name You didn't Mention in the Previous Question.
This question is asked to identify people whose names may have been missed out in the previous question. For example, your son is studying away from home and he does not stay with you as of April 1, 2010. so his name should be included here.

Is the House Owned with or without Mortgage, or is it Rented?
This question is asked as it indicates the health of the economy of the country. The data collected for the whole country from this question, is used to decide on housing programs by the government.

Your Telephone Number.
The telephone number is asked, just in case the census bureau needs to get in touch with you if there is any missing or incomplete information.

Personal Information for Each Person Living in the House.
This question helps list the names of all persons in a household, especially if the number of persons living in the house is more. For this question, the person who owns or rents the house should come first followed by other persons. All information is kept confidential and is not revealed to anyone including the IRS, CIA and FBI.

The Sex of the first Person Mentioned.
This is one of the most important census questions required to be answered by law. It's important as there are several federal programs which are funded after getting a clear idea of the number of males and females in the population of the United States.

The Date of Birth and Age of the first Person Mentioned.
This question is asked to get an idea of the economic and social characteristics like estimating how many people would be eligible for Medicare or Social Security benefits. The data collected from the answers to this question is used to plan and frame policies for children, women or older people. Moreover, it gives an idea of the amount of money that would be required to implement these policies.

The Origin of the Person.
The data collected from answers to this question is used to monitor whether anti-discriminatory policies of the government are followed or not. Local or state governments may use this data to plan bilingual programs for those whose origins are not in the country.

The Race of the Person.
Several federal laws depend on this question and it is required to monitor whether the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act are followed. This data is also used to assess whether employment opportunities are fair enough and to see if there is any disparity in education and health care just because a person belongs to a different race.

Does the first Person Mentioned Stay or Live in any other Place?
The question is asked so as to see if the responses given are complete and accurate.

The information you give is confidential and as per law the officials are prohibited from disclosing personal information of any person to any other person. If it's found that any official reveals any personal information, he or she is liable to be punished as per law.