George,

Statisticians at the Census Bureau have spent a lot of time investigating techniques for "correcting" for the undercount (which historically has disproportionately affected young black men, but which in 2010 will most likely just as seriously affect young Hispanic men). If there was sufficient desire/determination/funding, it would be possible to design a large follow-up survey - that would be conducted just after the census - that would provide very detailed information on the extent of the undercount, and which could be used to adjust the official tally. Beyond the statistical considerations, there is another problem, which is whether such an adjustment would be legal, given the wordage in the Constitution concerning the count of the population.

In years past the decision whether to adjust or not has been made, not by the director of the Census Bureau, but rather by the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, of which Census is a part. The Secretary is, of course, an appointed position.

Mike Spar (Electronic mail, November 16, 2006)

Editor's Note: Dr. Michael A. Spar is Research Associate, Demographics and Workforce at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia and is a past editor of the Virginia Statistical Abstract. His comments are in response to this article which was posted November 15.