Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance, and it does not apply to
employers with fewer than 15 employees [6].
In the previous section we considered ways in which the federal government has re-
stricted the amount of information that private organizations can collect about individ-
uals. In this section we look at ways in which the federal government itself has collected
vast amounts of sensitive information about its citizens.
In order to ensure each state has fair representation in the House of Representatives, the
United States Constitution requires the government to perform a census every 10 years.
The first census of 1790 had six questions. It asked for the name of the head of the
household and the number of persons in each of the following categories: free white
males at least 16 years old; free white males under 16 years old; free white females; all
other free persons (by sex and color); and slaves.
As time passed, the number of questions asked during the census increased. The
1820 census determined the number of people engaged in agriculture, commerce, and
manufacturing. The 1840 census had questions regarding school attendance, illiteracy,
and occupations. In 1850 census takers began asking questions about taxes, schools,
crime, wages, and property values.
The 1940 census is notable because for the first time statistical sampling was put to
extensive use. A random sample of the population, about 5 percent of those surveyed,
received a longer form with more questions. The use of sampling enabled the Census
Bureau to produce detailed demographic profiles without substantially increasing the
amount of data it needed to process.
Today the Census Bureau only uses a single short form when conducting the de-
cennial census. It gathers more detailed information on a continuous basis through the
American Community Survey. This program mails a questionnaire with more than 50
questions to 3 million addresses per year. Questions include the following:
.
What is this person's ancestry or ethnic origin?
.
Does this person speak a language other than English at home?
.
How many times has this person been married?
.
How did this person usually get to work last week?
.
Which fuel is used most for heating this house, apartment, or mobile home?
According to federal law, the Census Bureau is supposed to keep confidential the
information it collects. However, in times of national emergency, the Census Bureau has
revealed its information to other agencies. During World War I, the Census Bureau pro-
vided the names and addresses of young men to the military, which was searching for
draft resisters. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Census Bureau provided
