From: Christopher Lyttle <chris_lyttle@yahoo.com> To: "Russell Sprague" <russxsprague@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [NYJEFFER] [NYSTLAWR] Looking ahead in Genealogy Date: Sun, 07 May 2006 01:07:33 -0500 You can see pictures of the forms used at the US Census Bureau Web site < http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/Histforms/Hist1880-1970.html >. One must be careful when talking about sampling and the Census. There are different forms used, and who gets which is decided on a sampling basis. However, the Census does attempt to enumerate everyone - it does try to "touch" every household (to the extent possible). There was quite a controversy over this at the time of the 2000 Census. The Census Bureau proposed, and most of academia supported, the use of sampling methodology to achieve a single best guess count. The main issue is that there are systematic under counts in some areas (especially urban areas with high concentrations of emigrant populations), and the only way to adjust the counts is by some educated guessing. The under counts, of course, have important political impact through the allocation of seats in the House. Here is one discussion of the sampling issue: < http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/3_6_99/bob1.htm>. Note the Supreme Court decision that prohibits the use of sampling "to obtain population figures for determining how many of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives go to each of the 50 states. " None of this is to say that the Census actually does "touch every household" or enumerate every citizen. Nobody knows better than genealogists how badly the Census can fail. Chris Lyttle At 09:05 PM 5/6/2006, you wrote: Wow - that is a trip to the past and a look to the future.  In 1960 it asks for various housing value ranges where the top dollar amount is $35,000 plus.  Hmmm, now what would I get in the metro DC area for that kind of money? Based on a quick look, I think the last time the whole nation got the same questionnare was 1950.  If the current methods stay put (census released after 70 years), that one will become public in 2020.  I think after that things will go downhill somewhat as sampling was used rather than the census bureau trying to 'touch' every household. Fortunately there are many other records to search - church, newspaper, cemetery, wills, land records, etc. that cover the 10 year gaps between the cenuses. Russ From: PNUTREG@cs.com To: russxsprague@hotmail.com, NYSTLAWR-L@rootsweb.com, NYJEFFER-L@rootsweb.com,        NYOSWEGO-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NYSTLAWR] Looking ahead in Genealogy Date: Sat, 6 May 2006 21:49:18 EDT Hi Russ We know the information is not public and for the life of me I cannot verify what I might of answered on my Census sheets in the past.  I wish I had saved a copy or taken notes regarding the questions I was asked to compare with. But, I only did that the last time. However here is the website that I use for reference regarding information that will be on these Census when the time comes to release them and I believe it is as close as one can get to the accurate questions asked on each Census year. http://www.ipums.umn.edu/usa/voliii/tEnumForm.html Warm Regards Pat R. ============================== Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection.  Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx