Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-249) and index.

This book is the first social history of the census from its origins to the present and has become the standard history of the population census in the United States. Margo J. Anderson's scholarly text effectively bridges the fields of history and public policy, demonstrating how the census both reflects the country's extraordinary demographic character and constitutes an influential tool for policy making. Her book is essential reading for all those who use census data, historical or current, in their studies or work.

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