In addition,  only the 1970, 1990, and 2000 Censuses used counts of federally affiliated  personnel for purposes of apportioning Congress. Nevertheless, in recent years, the Bureau’s  policy of excluding private citizens from the census has been questioned. Cost-Effectiveness Would be Problematic

The initial results of the overseas census test suggest that counting  Americans abroad on a global basis would require enormous resources and  still not yield data that are comparable in quality to the stateside count. Moreover, the Bureau’s experience during the 2000 Census suggests that  securing a higher return rate on an overseas census would be an enormous  challenge and may not be feasible. Replicating this level of effort on a worldwide basis would be impractical,  and still would not produce a complete count. Unit Costs Were High

Because the overseas test had such low participation levels, the unit cost of  each response was high—roughly $1,450 for each returned questionnaire,  based on the $7.8 million the Bureau spent preparing for, implementing,  and evaluating the 2004 overseas test. The difficulties  included grappling with country-specific issues and overseeing the  contractor responsible for raising public awareness of the census at the  three test sites. The design of the overseas  test—a voluntary survey that relies heavily on marketing to secure a  complete count—lacks these building blocks largely because they are  impractical to perform in other countries. By contrast, participation in the  overseas test was optional. A complete and accurate address list:  The cornerstone of a successful  census is a quality address list. Ability to follow up with non-respondents:  Because participation in the  decennial census is mandatory, the Bureau sends enumerators to those  households that do not return their questionnaires. U.S. citizens only? For  certain purposes, such as apportioning Congress, the Bureau would  need to assign overseas Americans to a particular state. Securing a successful count of Americans in Vienna, Virginia, is challenging  enough; a complete count of Americans in Vienna, Austria, and in scores of  other countries around the globe, would only add to the difficulties facing  the Bureau as it looks toward the next national head count. Successfully counting the nation’s population is a near-daunting task.
Why GAO Did This Study

The U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) has typically excluded from the census private citizens residing abroad, but included overseas members of the military, federal civilian employees, and their dependents (in the 1990 and 2000 Censuses, these individuals were included in the numbers used for apportioning Congress). The Bureau recently tested the practicality of counting all overseas Americans. GAO was asked to testify on the test's initial results. Our statement is based on our published reports, one of which is being released at today's hearing.

What GAO Found

The test results suggest that counting all American citizens overseas as part of the census would require enormous resources, but still not yield data at the level of quality needed for purposes of congressional apportionment. Participation in the test was poor, with just 5,390 questionnaires returned from the three test sites. Moreover, as the Bureau's experience during the 2000 Census shows, securing better participation in a global count might not be practical. The Bureau spent $374 million on a months-long publicity campaign that consisted of television and other advertising that helped produce a 72-percent return rate. Replicating the same level of effort on a worldwide basis would be difficult, and still would not produce a complete count. Further, the low participation levels in the test made the unit cost of each response relatively high at around $1,450. The test results highlighted other obstacles to a cost-effective count including the resources needed to address country-specific problems and the difficulties associated with managing a complex operation from thousands of miles away. The approach used to count the overseas population in the 2004 test--a voluntary survey that largely relies on marketing to secure a complete count, lacks the basic building blocks of a successful census such as a complete and accurate address list and the ability to follow-up with nonrespondents. As the Bureau already faces the near-daunting task of securing a successful stateside count in 2010, having to simultaneously count Americans abroad would only add to the challenges it faces.