# Census Mailer Says Look for Census in Mail **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912 "2010-03-18T17:23:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/41 "2010-03-22T19:53:03Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I just got my post-census reminder! > I filled out the form and mailed it in..now the Feds are sending us another notice. Is that the postcard I got in today’s mail, with “Your response to the U.S. Census Bureau is required by law” in a box on the front, and several paragraphs on the back stressing how important it is that I respond, thanking me for responding if I already have, asking me to respond ASAP if I haven’t already, and providing instructions if I have any questions? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/42 "2010-03-22T20:07:47Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Well a politician > said it so it must be true. Never mind the logic that nothing in the letter would spur anyone to action. Well, if LOGIC says so, then. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/43 "2010-03-22T20:48:07Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Here’s a (pdf) summary of the research on the effectiveness of pre-notice letters. The sample size was 50,000 > > I guess its not totally impossible some shadowy conspiracy of gov’t bureaucrats, Census Bureau sociologists, bribed politicians and “management companies(?)” faked the whole thing or rigged the results. But I suspect the real truth is that the federal gov’t is putting a lot of effort into saving taxpayer money by improving the efficency of the Census. Thanks for the cite regarding mailers. Maybe I read it wrong but it looks like an extrapolation based on this statement: \*\* By comparing the response rates for this test which did not use the replacement questionnaire mailing, and the SQT which did, it was reasoned that the replacement questionnaire could have improved response by about another 10.4 percentage points.\*\* They did separate testing of other parameters such as simplifying the census, reducing the number of personal questions and including a stamped return envelope. To combine pre-mailer/post-mailer data with the other data is faulty logic in my opinion. If you remember the outcry from earlier census events there was much gnashing of teeth over the complexity and invasive nature of the questionnaires. I challenge the logic that 90% of the “mailer effect” can be tacked on in addition to the streamlining done to fix a known problem with the census. On top of that, I just got my post mailer and it could not be a sadder example of marketing I’ve ever received. It is almost invisible next to the other junk mail. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/44 "2010-03-22T20:52:44Z")
Why don’t they just give out prizes in a drawing at the end. they would get much better compliance. Pay for the prizes with the money not used to print and send these notices. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/45 "2010-03-22T21:02:29Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Why don’t they just give out prizes in a drawing at the end. they would get much better compliance. Pay for the prizes with the money not used to print and send these notices. WAG is that people would try to find ways to enter multiple times, which would, also, defeat the goal of an accurate counting. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/46 "2010-03-22T21:21:44Z")
I just got yet ANOTHER census mailer OK I got one saying, to expect the census form Then I got the census form (which I filled and returned the same day0 Now I get another letter saying “By now you should’ve got your census form…” When will it end? 😃 And the poor census lady at the library, who is there to help people fill in the form, if they have issues, is sitting there all day with nothing to do. Either people are smart enough to fill it in themselves or they aren’t filling it in at all. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/47 "2010-03-22T22:04:25Z")
Someone at work suggested that the multiple mailings are just a way to help out the USPS! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/48 "2010-03-23T02:51:58Z")
Does that mean there won’t be the usual postage rate hike this May? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912/49 "2010-03-23T05:02:33Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > Does that mean there won’t be the usual postage rate hike this May? I don’t know how much the census mailings have helped the USPS, but the Postmaster General announced back in October that there will be no rate increase this year. [No postal increase for 2010.](http://www.arandellblog.com/index.php/arandell-mailing/nopostalincrease/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-mailer-says-look-for-census-in-mail/532912.md?page=2)