← The Great Depression: Using Census Data
Flashcards
The Great Depression: Using Census Data
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The Great Depression: Using Census Data — Flashcards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| What questions did the 1930 decennial census ask about employment? | If a person wasn't working the day before the count, they were asked about their ability to work, job search status, duration of past employment, and reason for unemployment. |
| Why did legislators need more unemployment data beyond the 1930 census? | To understand the depth of the economic crisis and to support the implementation of the New Deal, since decennial censuses only occurred every 10 years. |
| How many unemployment censuses did the Census Bureau conduct in 1937? | Two: a voluntary self-selected census sent to every residential address, and the Enumerative Check Census sent to about 510,000 households. |
| What was the Enumerative Check Census? | A 1937 survey delivered to approximately 510,000 households, marking the first attempt to estimate unemployment nationwide by surveying random samples of the population. |
| How were areas chosen for the Enumerative Check Census? | The Census Bureau randomly chose areas canvassed by postal route, excluding business areas. |
| What was a major limitation of the Enumerative Check Census's sampling method? | It excluded the 18 percent of people who did not live on a postal route, making it less accurate than hoped. |
| Which 1937 census method produced more accurate unemployment data—the voluntary census or the Enumerative Check Census? | The Enumerative Check Census found a more accurate rate of unemployment than the voluntary census, which underreported unemployment. |
| What was significant about the 1940 decennial census? | It was the first decennial census to use statistical sampling, asking about 5 percent of the population additional detailed questions beyond the main questionnaire. |
| Why was statistical sampling valuable in the 1940 census? | It allowed the Census Bureau to ask additional detailed questions without significantly increasing cost or respondent burden, then estimate demographic data for the nation. |
| How long was sampling used in decennial censuses after 1940? | Sampling was a fixture of decennial censuses through the end of the 20th century, requiring a percentage of the population to fill out longer questionnaires. |
| What survey replaced periodic sampling with continuous data collection? | The American Community Survey, which the Census Bureau now conducts every month. |
| Who supervised the receipt and check-in of the 1937 unemployment census questionnaires? | Census Bureau Director William L. Austin and Unemployment Census Director John D. Biggers. |
| What does Item 2 show? | A map of the United States showing geographic divisions used in the 1937 unemployment data reporting. |
| What does Item 3 show? | The percentage of the population aged 15 to 74 in Enumerative Check Areas who were unemployed (including emergency workers) and partly unemployed, by sex, for geographic divisions in 1937. |
| What historical event preceded and triggered the Great Depression? | The stock market crash of 1929. |
| What is one reason people might have been reluctant to report their employment status to an enumerator in 1930? | Possible embarrassment or stigma around unemployment during the widespread economic hardship following the stock market crash. |
| What is the New Deal, as referenced in this resource? | President Franklin D. Roosevelt's program requiring funding and data support, which unemployment census data helped inform and justify. |
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