There are two tenets that motivate this course:
1. You cannot have effective policy without good data.
2. Representation in our democracy and state's tax capacity are based on Census counts (everyone gets counted regardless of age, citizenship, voting eligibility, race, and gender). Therefore the census has always been a weapon of political power; and from the beginning people have sought ways to manipulate the census for political gains.
The first part of the course focuses on the history and politics of the US Census. Students will have a clear understanding of some of the major uses of census data ( including how can data be useful for the COVID19 response); understand how historical events and policy debates have shaped the census overtime; and understand the concerns relating to undercounting, privacy, and debate about the citizenship question. Next the course focuses on the impact of demographic change on politics and policy, specifically voting behavior and party competition. Specific demographic trends of interest include population ageing, immigration, changes in US racial composition, and distribution/internal migration. Finally in the third section, we focus on policies that impact demographic behavior (for instance gender equality policies) and policies that manipulate/distort the impact of census counts such as gerrymandering and felony disenfranchisement.