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By law you will have to respond to census.

Article I, Section 2 of the US Constitution gives Congress the right to ENUMERATE the

number of citizens in order to apportion members of congress: "The actual

Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress

of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner

as they shall by law direct."

Enumerate means "to count, or determine the number of". Congress can COUNT the

number of citizens so you are required to answer the first question -- how many

people live at this address.

There are ten "required questions in the 2010 US census.

Title 13 section 221 of the United States Code requires your response. Title 13 also requires that the Census Bureau keep respondents' answers confidential and uses them only for tabulations that do not reveal any personal data about individuals or households.

Census Public Affairs Specialist, Robert Bernstein states that fines are rare and no one was fined during the 2000 Census.

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14y ago
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12y ago

YES. The US census's purpose is to get an accurate count of everyone living inside the US. This includes BOTH legal and illegal residents, and also those here on a temporary as well as permanent visa; however, "transient" visa owners - such as those on holiday or for a business visit - are not counted.

Legally speaking, everyone is required to answer the census count. Personal information is legally barred from being shared with anyone outside the US Census Bureau, so no person data will ever be shared with law enforcement, Immigration, or any other government (or private) entity. All personal data is used for anonymous aggregation, so it will never be given out or made available.

You should always answer the census - proper counting of all individuals insures correct political redistricting and representation, but also allows for correct appropriation of federal and state funding for various services. For instance, a large quantity of federal money allocation is based on the number of expected people that service needs to cover in a given area. "People" in this context is exactly that, and makes no differentiation between citizen and non-citizen. So, if you want your local fire/police/transportation/etc. office to get the amount of money it should get and not be short-changed, ANSWER YOUR CENSUS.

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Q: Are citizens required by law to answer census questions?
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What information are you required to answer on the 2010 US census?

The 2010 US CensusThere are 10 questions on the US Census form and you are required to answer all of them. Ex- How many people were living at the residence on April 1, 2010?Were there additional people staying at the residence that you didn't include in question 1?What is your telephone number?It then asks for information on each person living at the residence - there is a section for each person.It asks for first and last name, sex, age, date of birth, if the person is Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin, race, and whether or not this person sometimes lives or stays somewhere else (and if so where).Click on the link below to see a GREAT VIDEO (from censu.Gov) on how the Census works and what you need to:Click on the related Question below to see the legal workings of the Constitution and what the law says about the US Census:


What was the census of the US from 1610-1790?

There was no official US census until 1790. Some territories and states conducted censuses for various reasons before that, but there was no standard census. Beginning in 1790 a decennial census was conducted in accordance with the US Constitution that mandates the census as a means of apportioning the House of Representatives - determining how many representatives each state is entitled to. Up until 1850 the only data on the census was the name of the head of the household and the number of people of various ages, sex, and race who lived in the household. Beginning in 1850 the name of each person in the household was recorded along with their ages, place of birth, and occupation. The questions asked on the census have varied, with the most complete data collected from 1900 and after. The census of 1890 was mostly burned in a fire and only a small amount of it survived. By law the individual census information is not released for publication for 72 years to protect the privacy of individuals. The last census available for viewing is 1930.


What information is legally required for the US Census?

What Must I Answer on the US Census Form?The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3, Sentence 2, reads: "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."What this specifically states is that an Enumeration (or a 'head-count' of the people as defined by the sentence preceding the above quoted sentence, and Amendment XIV, Section 2, of the Constitution) will be performed every ten years.The final nine words (between the last comma and the period) are what this page was created to answer."...in such a Manner as they shall by Law direct."The word 'Manner' means how the 'head-count' shall be performed.The word 'they' refers to Congress, as mentioned in the first part of this Clause.The word 'Law' is synonymous with Legislation.Therefore, this Clause may be interpreted as follows:Congress must count all persons in the United States every ten years in accordance with the Laws that have been enacted by Congress.The Constitution does NOT limit the information that Congress may request in obtaining their Enumeration, except when that information might violate existing Amendments (i.e.: the IV Amendment (Illegal searches), or the V Amendment (Self incrimination)).A census is potentially allowed to ask (as defined by Congress) race, age, gender and residency.Race shows what the ethnicity population or certain backgrounds is is areas.Age shows the age groups. It says the age range for the majority of the people.Gender shows sex. It shows the contrast between men and women.Residency shows how many people live in your house. If one person answered the questionnaire and there are 7 people living in the house and they weren't accounted for, that statistic wouldn't be accurate.The 2010 US Census form contains 10 questions that should be filled out and mailed back to the government as soon as possible.To find out what specific questions the Census is legally allowed to ask, and what questions you are legally obligated to answer, you would have to study Title 13 of the United States Code: This is the Instrument of Law that Congress has enacted, as the above sentence of the Constitution authorizes Congress to do, on how to carry out the Census, what questions may be asked, and the penalties may be levied against a person who fails to, or falsely, answers the questions in the Census.Click on the link below for a Fantastic and simple video, by USCensus.gov, on how exactly a Census works and what you need to do on the 2010 Census:


How do I skip surveys?

If they are required by law then you have no choice. Otherwise, just ignore them.


What percentage of votes are required in the Senate for a bill to pass?

when the president vetoes a bill, a 2/3 vote is required where 2/3 or higher senators vote for the bill to become a law.

Related questions

What information is required by law on the 2010 US Census?

All


Do the census representatives have the right to keep coming back because only the first 2 questions were answered?

The census reporters have a duty to keep coming back until you successfully complete your census form.You are required by law to finish it, and if you won't, you can be subject to sanctions.


Do you have to answer questions from the US Census Bureau?

Yes. You are required by law to answer. If you don't mail back the questionnaire, somebody will come and knock on your door to ask the questions. Save yourself (and the government) some trouble, just mail it back.


What are all citizens in Brazil required to do by law?

tourism?


What is true about obeying the law in the US?

it is required of all citizens


Are the residents of the District of Columbia required to fill out the cesus?

Yes. Everyone is required by law to fill out the census, regardless of where you live.


what is civic obligation?

An action or behavior required by law of all U.S. citizens.


Why was Jesus in Jerusalem with His parents?

I believe that they went for Passover and to pay taxes and be counted for the census which was required by law.


Which law required citizens to help catch runaway slaves?

The Fugitive Slave Act.


What do citizens lose by not completing the census report?

Citizens who do not complete the census report may lose out on various benefits and opportunities. These include accurate representation in government and the allocation of resources, such as funding for schools, healthcare, and infrastructure, that are based on population data. Not completing the census may lead to underfunding and inadequate services for communities.


Who must obey the law in the US?

Technically, everyone must follow the law.


What are things we are required to do as citizens?

Uphold the law, treat each other as equals, contribute financially to society.