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In practice I don't think anyone has been charged for denying the census in many many years. In law, it's not actually voluntary and you're pretty much riding o
by zamadatix 1y ago
In practice I don't think anyone has been charged for denying the census in many many years. In law, it's not actually voluntary and you're pretty much riding on the census takers not caring lately rather than any actual status of whether the census is voluntary. If unpopular ancestry were a target of the census data again then I'd bet the lack of caring from the census takers goes away too, and the law needn't change to support that.
Regardless, this is actually about the ACS anyways.
- jerlam 1y agoI am not sure if "not caring" is the right perspective. The census takers have a very limited ability to compel you to answer and are not going to show up on your doorstep with law enforcement or threaten fines for not answering. People threatening or attacking census workers isn't uncommon. This article is from 2010 and due to increased political polarization, it would probably be worse today: https://www.npr.org/2010/06/21/127988332/census-workers-face-vitriol-and-violence https://www.npr.org/2010/06/21/127988332/census-workers-face...
- xtiansimon 1y ago> “The census takers have a very limited ability to compel you to answer…” True. But it’s about the data, right? I worked the 2010 census in my town. Obviously there is the escalation from mail-in to visit. But I recall there was some additional level after a refusal. In other words they don’t just treat a non-responsive or hostile home as a vacant lot.