Could 2010 Census Include Make-Believe People?

Ernest Istook / July 13, 2009

Left-leaning groups want to include millions of pretend people in the real-life 2010 Census. It almost happened in 2000. This time, they might get their way.  The administration claims it has “no plans” to use statistical sampling to augment the actual headcount next year by adding millions of fictitious people.

Statistical sampling creates profiles of make-believe people, assigning them an address, a gender, race, age, income, and other characteristics. And it counts them, just as though they were counted by a census worker. The Left argues that minorities and illegal immigrants are usually undercounted. They seek statistical “adjustments” to add made-up people, using assumptions and formulas that can be both factually wrong and politically manipulated. (more…)