From the Census to Gerrymandering
“The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.” -U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sec. II. 2020 is a census year. The federal census happens every ten years and is an incredibly important government function, something so basic and necessary the Founders included it in the Constitution. The census is administered by the U.S. Census Bureau . The goal of the census is to gather information about the population of the country. Ideally, everyone residing in the country, regardless of citizenship status, should be counted. The data collected is invaluable because it is used to allocate government resources appropriately and draw electoral districts. Drawing electoral districts is essential. While the census data comes from the federal government, the actual drawing is left up to the state and local governments because local govern