PAA Ramps Up for Annual Meeting by Holding Media Roundtable on Census 2020 - April 9, 2019

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Population Association of America (PAA), a leading non-profit scientific association dedicated to the study of human population change, hosted a media roundtable sharing research about the 2020 Census that will be presented at its Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas on April 10-13, 2019. During the Annual Meeting, new demographic findings will also be released on topics including the opioid epidemic, race and police violence, international migration, climate change, and gender and labor force issues.

“For nearly 90 years, PAA’s Annual Meeting has been the premier event for showcasing groundbreaking population research,” said John Casterline, Ph.D., President, PAA. “As the 2020 Census approaches, it’s more important than ever to take seriously the impact of how and where people are living in America today.”

The virtual media roundtable held on April 2, 2019, highlighted research from leading population scientists Dr. Jennifer Van Hook of Pennsylvania State University, and Dr. Bill O’Hare, an expert witness in the New York City and Maryland citizenship cases. They discussed the potential ramifications of the citizenship question, Congressional reapportionment and redistricting, and undercounts.

“Adding the citizenship question to the decennial census is projected to reduce response rates and as a result could impact population data for years to come. For example, over the next decade, inaccurate data from an inaccurate census could result in misallocation of approximately $25 trillion in federal and state funds, and bad results can also result in skewed private sector decision-making,” said Dr. Van Hook said.

Dr. O’Hare offered context on the challenges of the 2020 Census, citing that, “Census 2020 will be the most challenging census of my lifetime, and that growing uncertainty about the accuracy of the 2020 Census count means less certainty about the reapportionment and redistricting forecasts.”

Along with Dr. Van Hook and Dr. O’Hare, over 2,400 globally renowned scientists and demographers from the U.S. and many other countries will unveil new demographic findings on the most challenging societal and economic issues confronting the U.S. and the planet during PAA’s Annual Meeting.

About:

The Population Association of America (PAA) is a nonprofit, scientific, professional organization established in 1930 to support the scientific study of the human population. PAA members include demographers, sociologists, economists, public health professionals and other individuals interested in research and education in the population field. PAA membership has grown to 3,700 reflecting professional interest in the population field.

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