Tackling the Undercount

Count on Your Census

When the Trump Administration tried to add a citizenship question to the census, the intention was clear. Asking about citizenship status was designed to have a chilling effect on participation, particularly in immigrant communities. But the problem of a census undercount is both historic and well-documented. And the concern about its impacts is shared by the US Census Bureau, academic researchers, and civil rights organizations. In this episode, we talk to leaders in the movement to tackle the undercount head-on and hear their strategies for generating a robust response. From the logistical nightmare of Census enumerators finding households without addresses to the challenge of persuading reluctant undocumented immigrants to be counted, this is the undercount story.