Yesterday in U S News & World Report, Michael Barone had an article about the moving of the 2010 Census from the control of the Commerce Department to the control of the White House. John Fund had a similar article in today's Wall Street Journal. I first saw the fact that oversight of the Census was going to change last Friday, but I wasn't sure what it meant. Details are starting to emerge.
According to the Michael Barone article:
"Here's an argument that it's unconstitutional for the president to take over the Census from the secretary of commerce. It goes like this: Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution provides for an "actual enumeration" and a statute passed by Congress provides that the duties under this clause are to be performed by the secretary of commerce. Article I (as Joseph Biden didn't know in debate) is about the legislative, not the executive branch. Hence, it is argued, the president can't substitute a sampling for the enumeration required to be done by the secretary."
The John Fund article explains the dangers of politicizing the census:
""The real issue is who directs the Census, the pros or the pols," says Mr. Chapman. "You would think an administration that's thumping its chest about respecting science would show a little respect for scientists in the statistical field." He worries that a Census director reporting to a hyperpartisan such as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel increases the chances of a presidential order that would override the consensus of statisticians.
The Obama administration is downplaying how closely the White House will oversee the Census Bureau. But Press Secretary Robert Gibbs insists there is "historical precedent" for the Census director to be "working closely with the White House."
It would be nice to know what Sen. Gregg thinks about all this, but he's refusing comment. And that, says Mr. Chapman, the former Census director, is damaging his credibility. "He will look neutered with oversight of the most important function of his department over the next two years shipped over to the West Wing," he says. "If I were him, I wouldn't take the job unless I had that changed.""
Why is all this important? The census determines the electoral college, the number of congressional representatives a state send to Washington, federal aid to states, and other federal program allowances. An inaccurate census would do considerable damage to the rule of one vote for one person.
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