What is the ACS (American Community Survey)?
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a 21-page questionnaire generated by the US Department of Commerce under the auspices of the US Census Bureau. Funded by tax dollars, the lengthy questionnaire is mailed to 2% of the US population annually. The ACS has been criticized by many recipients due to its highly invasive questions, mandatory language regarding compliance threatening steep fines, and the dogged follow-up tactics often used by Census Bureau representatives to obtain completed forms. The Census Bureau intends the ACS to replace the “long form” questionnaire of the 10-year Census. Information provided is entered into a central data base. This data bank holds extremely sensitive details about countless residents in every area of the United States.
