**GAO-08-1167T**                      Published: Sep 23, 2008. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

An accurate decennial census relies on finding and counting people-- only once--in their usual place of residence, and collecting complete and correct information on them. This is a daunting task as the nation's population is growing steadily larger, more diverse, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau), increasingly difficult to find and reluctant to participate in the census. Historically, undercounts have plagued the census and the differential impact on various subpopulations such as minorities and children is particularly problematic. GAO was asked to describe (1) key activities the Bureau plans to use to help reduce the differential undercount and improve participation, (2) the various challenges and opportunities that might affect the Bureau's ability to improve coverage in 2010, and (3) how different population estimates can impact the allocation of federal grant funds. This testimony is based primarily on GAO's issued work in which it evaluated the performance of various Census Bureau operations.

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## Topics

Government Operations

AccountabilityAllocation (Government accounting)CensusData collectionData integrityFederal legislationHousingLocal governmentsMinoritiesMonitoringOperational testingPopulation growthPopulation statisticsStrategic planningSurveysSystems testingTechnologyTechnology assessmentTesting