US Senate Confirms Groves as Census Head

The US Senate has approved President Obama's nomination of Dr Robert Groves as Census Director, following more than a month of objections from Republican lawmakers.

Groves served as the Census Bureau's Associate Director from 1990 to 1992, during which time he was an advocate of the use of statistical adjustments, which would have allowed for an undercount of several million people who were likely to have been Democrat voters. At the time, this was described in some quarters as an attempt at 'political tampering'.

Republicans David Vitter and Richard Shelby blocked this year's final vote by seeking assurances from the White House that Groves will not use statistical sampling to adjust the 2010 census. Groves confirmed that this will not be the case and his nomination was approved with 76 Senators voting in favour, compared with 15 who opposed.

Groves said in a statement that he is honoured to accept the position, and that he plans to ensure that the public understands the importance of taking part in the census.

Until recently, he led the University of Michigan's Survey Research Center, where his work involved understanding how alternative research designs affect the data collected, and examining social and cognitive theory regarding why respondents decide to participate in statistical surveys.

He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, and a National Associate of the National Academies, National Research Council. He is also former President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and former Chair of the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association.

'The 2010 Census faces significant challenges, and Dr Groves will help us meet them,' stated US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, to whom Groves now reports. 'He is a respected social scientist, highly regarded by the statisticians, geographers, mathematicians and demographers who work at the Bureau, and he will run the agency with the integrity and independence demanded by the Constitution and expected by the American people.'

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the US, and its questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, consisting of 10 questions and taking about 10 minutes to complete.

The Marketing Research Association (MRA) has welcomed Professor Groves' confirmation.

Web site: www.census.gov .