Figures are estimates based on a survey of 60,000 households conducted in March 1997 and March 1998. The figures are subject to sampling error, and the Census Bureau advises against using them to rank the states. Poverty thresholds vary by family size and composition. The statistics were prepared for the foundation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Figures represent the composition of state legislatures as of July 1999.
Some boards also have governing authority.
These agencies were created in 1994 as part of the federal government's national-service program. Through this program, students can earn college scholarships or loan forgiveness in return for service. The A.A.U.P. censures institutions when it finds that they have violated its standards of academic freedom and tenure. The standards seek to protect the rights of faculty members to free speech without fear of penalty, and to due process in appointment, promotion, and tenure decisions. The standards are included in the 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure, which was developed by the A.A.U.P. and the Association of American Colleges and Universities and endorsed by more than 150 other academic organizations.