When it comes to the census, everyone counts! Every decade, the government tries to count every person living in the United States. A census form arrives in the mail, asking for the names, ages, relationships, and other information about all the people in the household. That information helps the government decide how to spend its dollars! It's also the basis for determining representation in government. Back when the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they decided that proportional representation would be a way to give power to all people. The bigger a state's population, the more representatives they can elect to Congress. That's why getting an accurate count is so important. And that’s no easy task, given our population of over 300 million! Some people are hard to track down—they might live in rural areas, or move around a lot, or feel nervous to share personal details with the government. Over the years, census workers have developed new technology and better techniques to improve their counting and protect data. The census is a way for everyone to participate in government, even if you can't vote. So do your civic duty, and be counted!
