A Spectator’s Guide to Entitlement Reform
This guide offers suggestions for evaluating the detailed proposals for reforming the social insurance system in the U.S. (May 2002)

The Undercount in the 2000 Census (PDF: 537KB)
This KIDS COUNT/PRB report summarizes what is known about census undercount and the methods used to adjust census data, with an emphasis on the undercount of children and minorities. (AmeriStat, May 2002)

Short Work Lives, Long Retirements Make Saving Difficult
Men and women have followed different patterns of years worked and how long they can expect to spend in retirement. As baby boomers retire, the trends will surely continue to change. (Population Today, May/June 2002)

Poverty in the United States and Other Western Countries
Cross-national poverty rates are challenging to calculate. The U.S. has the highest relative poverty rate among developed nations, according to a recent report. (May 2002)

Out of the Closet and Onto the Census Long Form
In 1990, the census questionnaire allowed heads of household to mark "unmarried partner" to describe an adult of the same sex living in the same house. In 2000, the Census Bureau recoded any same-sex "spouse" responses as "unmarried partner" responses. But it takes some digging to gain information about the gay population in the U.S. (Population Today, May/June 2002)

Census-Taking and the Invisibility of Urban American Indians
Contrary to stereotypes about reservation living, most American Indians live in cities. Research conducted in the San Francisco Bay area shows a mobile population that can be impossible for census takers to track. (Population Today, May/June 2002)

Government Spending in an Older America
The population of the United States is getting older. In 1950, when the baby boom was just getting underway, 8.2 percent of Americans were age 65 or older; now, 12.6 percent are. The U.S. population's aging is the result of two long-term trends: declining fertility rates and increasing longevity. This report presents data and criteria for judging the alternatives for finding the public finances necessary to deal with this new demographic situation. (May 2002)

Mexican Immigration to the United States
Data from the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey indicate that about 8.8 million people living in the United States in 2000 were born in Mexico. This represents just under 30 percent of the total U.S. foreign-born population. (AmeriStat, May 2002)

English-Speaking Ability
Data from the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey show that in 2000 there were 19.5 million people in the United States ages 5 and older who did not speak English very well. (AmeriStat, May 2002)

Marriage & Motherhood
Results from the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey show that close to 30 percent of women ages 15 to 50 who gave birth in 1999-2000 were unmarried. (AmeriStat, May 2002)