The Census
The framers of the Constitution included the requirement that the government conduct an "actual enumeration" of the population every 10 years. The census, as this count is known, first took place in 1790 and has followed every 10 years ever since.
Why was it so important to the framers that an actual count of the population be taken that the mandate to do so was included in the US Constitution?
Representation in the House of Representatives is proportional to the population of individual states. The framers anticipated shifts and growth in state populations and required this provision to assure appropriate representation of each state in the House.
MapQuest: 2010 Census Results
Use the interactive map above or the downloadable text version to answer these questions.
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Not clear on why the census matters? Check out this video from the U.S. Census Bureau which explains how the results from the census impact the makeup of the House of Representatives. |
