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Theminorityreport theMINORITYREPORT The annual news of the AEA’s Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Pr ofession, the National Economic Association, and the American Society of Hispanic Economists Issue 12 | Winter 2020 HOW ERRORS IN CENSUS COUNTS AFFECT FEDERAL SPENDING By Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, Duke University The US Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 2) charges the government with conducting a Census every ten years for the purpose of apportioning representatives. In advance of the 2020 Census, the Trump administration sought to add a question about citizenship status to the Census. This proposal generated significant controversy over its intent. The Secretary of Commerce justified it by citing a request from the Department of Justice stating that citizenship data were necessary to better enforce the Voting Rights Act.1 This motive was challenged in court. As part of the lawsuit, emails from the Department of Commerce revealed the involvement of proponents of voter-eligible redistricting—that is, political representation based on voter-eligible population citizenship data in the Census could have significant rather than total population—in the proposal to add implications for the allocation of federal spending. the citizenship question,2 as well as the role of the Department of Commerce in soliciting the original data Opponents of the citizenship question note that this request from the Department of Justice.3 The Supreme question would intimidate immigrant communities from Court blocked the citizenship question for the 2020 responding to the Census, which would result in errors Census, noting that adding a citizenship question in population counts. Errors can also result from other “cannot adequately be explained in terms of DOJ’s factors, such as limited testing due to underfunding request for improved citizenship data to better enforce of the Census as well as the use of new but untested the VRA.”4 technologies (Elliot et al. 2019). Because a large number of federal spending programs rely on local population Although the outcome is that the citizenship question estimates to allocate spending, these errors could lead will not be added to the Census in 2020, the Supreme to misallocation of federal funds. Court did not rule directly on its legality, and therefore the impact of collecting citizenship data in the Census This report describes recent economic research on remains an important issue to consider. Beyond the how errors in Census population counts, regardless of controversy over political representation, collection of continued on page 4 } THE MINORITY REPORT CSMGEP MEMBERS Advancing Minority Representation Gary Hoover, co-chair CONTENTS University of Oklahoma in the Economics Field Ebonya Washington, co-chair The Minority Report is a joint publication Yale University FEATURES of the American Economic Association’s James Alm Committee on the Status of Minority Tulane University How Errors in Census Counts Groups in the Economics Profession Amanda Bayer Affect Federal Spending (CSMGEP), the American Society of Swarthmore College by Juan Carlos Suárez Serrato, Hispanic Economists (ASHE), and the Duke University...........1, 4-6 National Economic Association (NEA). Vicki Bogan Published annually, The Minority Report Cornell University The National Economic showcases the people, programs, Association at 50 Years: Renee Bowen research, and activities of the three University of California, San Diego Looking Ahead groups, which together work to increase by Margaret C. Simms, The Urban Lisa D. Cook the representation of minorities in the Institute, and Charles Z. Wilson, (ex officio) Michigan State University economics profession. University of California, Kalena Cortes Los Angeles ..............9-11 Committee on the Status of Minority Texas A&M University Groups in the Economics Profession (Professional) Climate Change Jose Fernandez was established by the University of Louisville by Amanda Bayer, (CSMGEP) American Economic Association (AEA) Swarthmore College.......16-19 Trevon Logan in 1968 to increase the representation of (ex-officio) The Ohio State University minorities in the economics profession, primarily by broadening opportunities Marie Mora PIPELINE (ex officio) University of Missouri–St. Louis for the training of underrepresented PROGRAMS minorities. CSMGEP, which is composed James Peoples Jr. Summer Training of economists from all areas of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Program................... 3 profession, also works to ensure that Ivan Vidangos issues related to the representation of Federal Reserve Board Summer Economics minorities are considered in the work of Fellows Program............ 3 the AEA, and engages in other efforts to ASHE OFFICERS promote the advancement of minorities in The Mentoring Fernando Lozano Program................... 3 the economics profession. (president) Pomona College www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/ csmgep Susan Pozo ECONOMISTS (past president) Western Michigan TO WATCH The American Society of Hispanic University Economists (ASHE) is a professional Mónica García-Pérez Gerald Jaynes association of economists whose primary (president-elect) St. Cloud State Reaching Beyond Economics to goals are promoting the vitality of University Answer the Big Questions ....7-8 Hispanics in the economics profession, Sue Stockly promoting rigorous research on economic Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe (vice president of communications) and policy issues affecting US Hispanic A WISE(R) Woman ........12-13 Eastern New Mexico University communities, and engaging more Hispanic Patrick Mason Americans to effectively participate in the Alberto Dávila Challenging Orthodoxy ....14-15 economics profession. (secretary-treasurer) Southeast Missouri State University www.asheweb.net ECONOMIC National Economic Association NEA OFFICERS JOBS BEYOND (NEA) was founded in 1969 as the Omari Swinton ACADEMIA . 20-22 Caucus of Black Economists to promote (president) Howard University the professional lives of minorities within Linwood Tauheed the profession. In addition to continuing ANNOUNCEMENTS (president-elect) University of Missouri– its founding mission, the organization Kansas City & ACTIVITIES . 23-35 is particularly interested in producing and distributing knowledge of economic Gbenga Ajilore issues that are of exceptional interest to (past president) University of Toledo promoting economic growth among native Romie Tribble Jr. and immigrant African Americans, Latinos, (secretary) Spelman College and other people of color. Hazel Robinson www.neaecon.org (treasurer) US Department of Agriculture 2 theMINORITYREPORT PIPELINE PROGRAMS } Summer Training Program Fellowships are open to all economists without regard to gender or minority status, although the goal of The AEA Summer Training Program (AEASP) at Michigan the program—advancing the careers of women and State University is an intensive two-month residential underrepresented minorities—will drive the selection program that offers talented undergraduates from process. underrepresented minorities the opportunity to develop and solidify skills needed in doctoral programs in Application deadline: February 1, 2020 economics and related fields. The program consists of For more information, visit the AEA website at courses—in math, microeconomics, econometrics, and https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/ research methods—as well as seminars, workshops, summer-fellows-program and trips designed to support the needs of students seriously considering postgraduate studies in economics. Depending on their incoming level of } The Mentoring Program preparation, participants are enrolled at the foundations or advanced level. After completing the foundations Established in the mid-1990s, the AEA Mentoring level, students may apply again in future years to return Program (formerly known as the Pipeline Program) at the advanced level. is generously supported by the National Science Foundation. The program matches black/African Program includes travel costs to/from Michigan, room American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American and board, and a $3,250 stipend. economics PhD students and new PhD graduates with mentors in the field, and also facilitates networking When: May 28-July 26, 2020 between senior economists and students at all stages Where: Michigan State University, in collaboration with of the educational and career pipelines. One of the Western Michigan University program’s main activities is the Summer Mentoring Application download: http://econ.msu.edu/aeasp. Pipeline Conference, which brings together the Essays, references, and transcripts required for mentees in the program, their mentors, other senior consideration. economists in and outside of academia, and the undergraduate students in the AEA Summer Training Application deadline: January 31, 2020 Program. Moreover, the Mentoring Program provides For more information: email [email protected], call limited funding to support the research and travel (517) 884-8468, or visit http://econ.msu.edu/aeasp of the mentees, including for presentations at major @AEASPmsu conferences. For applications and more information, Summer Economics Fellows Program see the AEA website: } https://www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/committees/ Sponsored by the American Economic Association csmgep/mentoring and the National Science Foundation, the Summer [email protected] Economics Fellows Program is designed to increase @AEAMP1 the participation and advancement of women and underrepresented minorities in economics. Deadlines for
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