There are three big problems with a vacuum of leadership at the bureau at this particular political moment.
The first has to do with maintaining the basic function of the agency, which must follow a strict, 10-year schedule. "The Census is on a relentless calendar. You cannot postpone it," Kenneth Prewitt, who was director of the Census Bureau during the 2000 Census, told TIME. "There's a huge amount of planning and testing to do beforehand. With a leadership vacuum, things slow down."
Lowenthal says she does not expect the Trump administration to nominate a replacement for Thompson this year, and even after that takes place, the Senate confirmation process could take many more months. With so many other vacancies in the federal government, it's possible the role could remain unfilled for the next year or more.
The second big problem facing the agency has to do with money. Without a respected director to push Congress and the White House to give adequate funding to the bureau, the agency risks stumbling on a shoestring budget. In April, Congress allocated just $1.47 billion to the agency, roughly $150 million less than officials believe is necessary at this stage in the 10-year cycle. The President's
proposed 2018 budget provides just a minor bump, with $1.5 billion next year.
Without more funding, Sparks says, an interim leader may be forced to make grim choices. He or she may decide, for example, to roll out untested new internet-based programs, increasing the risk of a failure in 2020 (see Healthcare.gov), or to cannibalize other programs, like the annual American Community Survey or this year's economic survey, which is used to inform consequential decisions at the Federal Reserve. An interim leader might also be forced to give up on an online census entirely, opting instead for the old school pencil and paper version the bureau has used for 220 years—a move that would save money in the short term, but end up costing tax payers, according to the Commerce Department, $5 billion more down the road over the full 10-year cycle.
The third main problem with a vacuum of leadership at the bureau at this political moment is a little more slippery. It has to do, watchdogs say, with the vagaries of public perception. "It is vital, it is
critical, that the public has confidence in the integrity of the process and faith in the results," said Lowenthal. "Anything that compromises that, compromises the whole mission."
Prewitt warned that if the agency doesn't receive the funds or political support it needs, it could force a public crisis. "If you underfund the census, you get an undercount," he said. "And if you don’t count people, they are politically invisible, in effect." If the 2020 Census appears to undercount certain populations or demographics in certain cities or states, he said, that could discredit the agency's perceived competency.
"Representation for minorities? What minorities? My census bureau chief Sargon Of Akkad didn't notice any minorities."
I know a lot of people at Bureau of Labor Statistics and they are fearing the same thing. Incompetence or just up to something? Attempt at moving some of this data to private companies?
I don't think libertarians are against having accurate data.
