Planning for the Census in the Year 2000

Considering the di culties, the Census Bureau does a remarkably good job at counting people. There are two current techniques for evaluating or adjusting the census: (i) demographic analysis uses administrative records to make independent population estimates, which can be compared to census counts; (ii) data from an independent sample survey can be used to estimate population coverage. If there is a large undercount, these techniques may be accurate enough for adjustment. With a small undercount, it is unlikely that current adjustment methodologies can improve on the census; instead, adjustment could easily degrade the accuracy of the data. This paper reviews plans for Census 2000, including proposals for adjustment, in the light of past experience.