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Reading Reflection #5: Census 2020

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  1. It is important to be counted in the census because a lot of federal funding is determined by the population. For instance, there are many government-funded programs that rely on population in order to function in a given region. If the population is not high enough, the program can lose funding, or be completely cut off. This leads to come citizens losing access to certain programs or services they normally rely on. Additionally, the number of representatives each state receives for Congress is determined by the census. In Minnesota, people are already worried of losing the eighth congressional seat because in last census, the state barely held on to it.
  2. Often children under the age of five are uncounted in the census. Immigrants and non-citizens are also not counted in the census. They may not want to be counted out of fear of being deported if they are in the country illegally. Others may not want to participate in the census out of fear that personal information will be leaked. If a large amount of people in a particular area do not participate and get counted in the census, government-funded programs and services may not longer be available because the population is underrepresented. Furthermore, people will begin to lose their individual voices in Congress because districts will become larger, thus representing more people.
  3. I learned that the census determines a lot of different factors that we often do not think about. I knew that congressional seats were determined by the census, but I did not know Minnesota is close to losing one of its seats.
  4. Education is very important to me – I want to become an elementary teacher. Schools receive federal and state funding for various aspects within the school. For instance, funding helps with academic programs, teachers’ wages, and special education programs. Without this funding, many schools may not be able to function at the level needed to help students academically succeed because funds will not be available for additional programs.