Trump officials have proposed sweeping changes to the census that would stop asking about race and exclude millions of U.S. residents from a count the Constitution requires to include the 'whole number of persons in each state.'
Key facts
- A Trump census proposal would stop asking about race.
- The plan would exclude millions of U.S. residents from the count.
- The 14th Amendment requires counting the 'whole number of persons in each state.'
- The changes could reshape voting maps, according to NPR.
Trump administration officials have proposed sweeping changes to the U.S. census that would alter how the nation counts its population and, in turn, could reshape voting maps, according to NPR.
One element of the proposal would stop the census from asking about race, ending a long-standing feature of the count. NPR reports that the plan would also exclude millions of U.S. residents from the tally.
That approach runs up against the language of the 14th Amendment, which states that the count must include the ‘whole number of persons in each state.’ The constitutional requirement has historically been read to mean all residents, not only certain categories of people.
Because census figures are used to draw legislative districts and allocate political representation, changes to who is counted and how could have significant downstream effects on voting maps, according to NPR’s reporting.
The proposal marks a departure from established census practice, and its details, timeline and legal footing were not further specified in the available reporting.
Why it matters
The census determines how political representation and federal resources are distributed across the country, so changing who is counted could shift the balance of power between states and communities. A proposal that excludes millions of residents and drops the race question could face constitutional challenges given the 14th Amendment's requirement to count all persons.
Frequently asked questions
What changes to the census are being proposed?
According to NPR, the Trump proposal would stop asking about race and would exclude millions of U.S. residents from the census count.
Why might the proposal face legal challenges?
The 14th Amendment says the census must include the 'whole number of persons in each state,' which conflicts with a plan to exclude millions of residents, according to NPR.
How could this affect voting maps?
NPR reports that the proposed changes would reshape voting maps, since census counts are used to determine political representation.