States in the West and South Are Set to Gain Political Clout
Population trends since 2000 suggest that states in the South and West will gain additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 Census. In the South, Texas is on track to add three seats, while Florida and Georgia could add one seat each. In the West, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah could each gain one more seat. (April 2009)

About the American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS), a relatively new survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, is ushering in the most substantial change in the decennial census in more than 60 years. The ACS will replace the decennial census long form in 2010 and thereafter by collecting long-form-type information throughout the decade rather than only once every 10 years. (April 2009)

The U.S. Census Tradition
Just as the form of government hammered out at the Philadelphia convention has withstood more than two centuries of tumultuous change, the tradition of the decennial population census has also endured. The United States has conducted a census every 10th year beginning with 1790. Except during the 1920s, the results were used to reapportion state representation in the U.S. Congress once a decade, and eventually for assessing taxes, gauging potential military strength, and a myriad of other purposes. (April 2009)

U.S. Census 2010 Timetable
This timetable highlights key dates in the 2010 U.S. Census, spanning from March 2007 through June 2013. (April 2009)

Education, Medical Treatment, and Social Networks Can Promote 'Brain Health' Among U.S. Elderly
With continued population aging and increasing numbers of elderly, the loss of cognitive function among some older Americans foreshadows a potentially enormous social and economic burden on individuals, families, communities, and the nation. Three researchers present their findings on how education, income, better treatment of stroke and heart disease, and other factors affect the severe decline in cognitive ability among nearly 10 percent of U.S. elderly. (March 2009)

PRB Discuss Online: Are Some U.S. Generations Luckier Than Others?
Unique events, political climates, and social and economic conditions shape each new generation in every society. In his new book (The Lucky Few) and a recent Population Bulletin, "20th Century U.S. Generations," sociologist Elwood Carlson examines shared experiences influencing recent U.S. generations, including the Lucky Few (born 1929-1945), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1982), New Boomers (born 1983-2001), and others. Professor Carlson answered participants questions about why different generations of Americans experienced such different childhood family contexts, educational outcomes, marriages and family lives, military service, career paths, and retirement. What key factors are likely to determine the collective identity of Americans being born today? Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (March 2009)

Children in U.S. Immigrant Families Chart New Path
A new PRB report, Children in Immigrant Families Chart New Path, looks at the U.S. children of immigrants through a demographic lens. There are more than 16 million children living in America's immigrant families. The vast majority are U.S. citizens who were born in the United States to foreign-born parents. However, the well-being of children in immigrant families varies based on their parents' country of origin, education, and the circumstances of their migration to the United States. (March 2009)

U.S. Regional Population Losses Linked to High Unemployment
High unemployment rates are not just creating a drag on the U.S. economy, but are also linked to lagging population growth in economically distressed areas, according to a PRB analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 2007 and 2008, the population in distressed counties—areas with unemployment rates of 6 percent or more in 2007—grew 0.3 percent, compared with a 1.2 percent growth rate in areas with relatively low unemployment (less than 4 percent). (March 2009)

Immigration Response in Suburban Washington, DC
With a lack of clear federal legislation on immigration, some municipal governments are enacting restrictionist policies to address the changing demographics of their communities. Prince William County, an outer suburb of Washington, D.C., that has seen its immigrant population rise dramatically in recent years, has enacted strict laws to restrict immigration. The experience of Prince William County, and its implications for immigration debates at the local level across the United States, is studied in a new report by the Brookings Institution, "Immigrants, Politics, and Local Response in Suburban Washington."  (March 2009)

20th-Century U.S. Generations

Members of each generation live through unique times shaped by unexpected historical events, changing political climates, and evolving socioeconomic conditions. A generational perspective offers fresh insights into contemporary society by emphasizing both the distinctiveness of each generation in its particular historical context and the persistence of such distinctions across an individual’s life. This Population Bulletin highlights contrasting American generations of the 20th century, showing how each one influenced and reacted to the social and economic landscape over which we all must travel. (BUL64.1; March 2009)