Provides information on the progress that the Census Bureau has made on its plans for carrying out the 2000 Decennial Census and assesses whether the Bureau has demonstrated the feasibility of its plans. Evaluates initiatives including (1) simplified and streamlined census questionnaires, (2) multiple mail contacts to prompt a response, (3) increased use of the Postal Service to improve the master address file for the census and identify vacant and nonexistent housing units, and (4) the use of statistical sampling and estimation procedures aimed at reducing the cost and increasing the accuracy of the census. Also includes a 28-page report by the Bureau of the Census, "Census 2000: Planning for the 2000 Round of Pouplaiton and Housing Census."

How do you count a nation of more than 250 million peopleâ€"many of whom are on the move and some of whom may not want to be counted? How can you obtain accurate population information for apportioning the House of Representatives, allocating government resources, and characterizing who we are and how we live? This book attempts to answer these questions by reviewing the recent census operations and ongoing research and by offering detailed proposals for ways to improve the census.