You Want It When?: Addressing Policy and Legal Issues

• Activity Number: 164
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 2, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics
• Author(s): Kathleen M. Styles*+
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: administrative records ; federal statistical system ; legal issues ; data quality ; integrated data sets

Abstract

The Census Bureau is currently pursuing two administrative records initiatives: planning for a 2020 Census involving expanded use of administrative records, and offering to link records and return microdata for other federal statistical agencies. This paper discusses the policy and legal issues involved in both initiatives. Both raise issues relating to confidentiality and obtaining data from other agencies, as well as data management and informed consent concerns. The 2020 Census proposal raises some more unique issues, including the Constitutional requirement of an "actual Enumeration," and sorting out residence rules and reference periods. Data quality is another potential issue, as administrative data typically does not contain the detailed characteristic data traditionally required by the census. Finally, the unique needs of various data users are also discussed.