7.34 Telling the government. The 2010 census was a short-form-only census. The decennial long form was eliminated. The American Community Survey (ACS) replaced the long form in 2010 and will collect long-form-type information throughout the decade rather than only once every 10 years. The 2010 ACS asked detailed questions, for example:

Does this house, apartment, or mobile home have a) hot and cold piped water?; b) a flush toilet?; c) a bathtub or shower?; d) a sink or faucet?; e) a stove or range?; f) a refrigerator?; and g) telephone service from which you can both make and receive calls? Include cell phones.

The form also asked for individual income in dollars, broken down by source, and whether any “physical, mental, or emotional condition” caused the respondent difficulty in “concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.”

Give brief arguments for and against the use of the ACS form: the government has legitimate uses for such information, but the questions seem to invade people’s privacy.