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Commerce Department announces addition of citizenship question to 2020 Census

  1. Original Date Announced

    March 26, 2018

    On December 12, 2017, DOJ requested that the Census Bureau reinstate a citizenship question on the decennial census to provide census block level citizenship voting age population ("CV AP") data that are not currently available from government survey data. On March 26, 2018, the Department of Commerce approved DOJ's request and directed the Census Bureau to reinstate the citizenship question on the 2020 census short form (which every household will receive)

    [ID #791]

    Reinstatement of a Citizenship Question on the 2020 Decennial Census Questionnaire

Current Status

Not in effect

Original Trump Policy Status

Trump Administration Actions: Change in Practice Data and Reports
Subject Matter: Citizenship
Agencies Affected: DOJ Other

Pre Trump-Era Policies

  • March 27, 2018

    There are two census questionaires: a long form and a short form. The short form is sent to every household and the long form is sent to 1 in 6 households. The short form census has not had a question about citizenship since 1950 (which asked "If foreign born- is he naturalized?". Since 1950, the short form census questionaire has not included any questions about citizenship. The long form questionaire has had questions about citizenship up until 2010.

    NPR Report

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