US Census Bureau News - Political News The Census Bureau serves
as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people
and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share
our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are
guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our
readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our
customers. The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United
States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the
Constitution, and takes place every 10 years. The data collected
by the decennial census determine the number of seats each state
has in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is also used to
distribute billions in federal funds to local communities. The
2010 Census represented the most massive participation movement
ever witnessed in our country. Approximately 72 percent of the
households returned their census form by mail; the remaining
households were counted by census workers walking neighborhoods
throughout the United States.