So the statistical experts at the Bureau of the Census went to work to find a better way to reach a more accurate count. The method they developed is called statistical sampling. The margin of error with statistical sampling is much smaller than with the traditional head-count method. But what really motivates Republicans is the fear that sampling will increase the number of minorities and poor people who get counted. The census is used to determine House districts.
Republicans think minorities tend to vote Democratic.
That doesn't fit with the GOP's stance on fiscal responsibility. A three-judge federal panel has upheld the GOP suit to stop the Census Bureau from using statistical sampling. The administration has appealed to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the uncertainty is seriously hampering the Census Bureau as it tries to prepare for the massive effort of conducting the 2000 census. We need the most accurate census we can get, regardless of what political party it might benefit, and professional statisticians generally agree that statistical sampling is the method to produce it.