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Messaging Advice for the Census Bureau

With or without a citizenship question, there may be significant resistance to the legal requirement that everyone in the country in April 2020 complete the census. A study by Civis Analytics, a data science software and consultancy, found 21 percent of Americans saying they are "not likely" to answer the census and 35 percent saying they aren't likely to encourage anyone else to do so.

The firm – created by Dan Wagner, the top data guru for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign – also had some marketing advice for the Census Bureau: Framing a public relations campaign around making the census a "civic duty" could improve response rates 8 percent. Reminding people that an accurate census ensures proper allocation of House seats to the states would help response rates about 5 percent, while stressing the head count's role in allocating government dollars would help by 3 percent.


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United States Capitol building
The United States Capitol building in Washington DC during the golden hour

Do Six Political Factions Cause Congressional Gridlock?

A recent congressional voting record report of our 535 delegates in D.C., published by the Institute of Legislative Analysis, found that significant voting behavior shifts have occurred within both major political parties over the past three years.

According to tracking from YouGov and Marquette Law School, roughly 28% to 35% of self-identified Republicans explicitly state they are not Trump- MAGA fans. Meanwhile, data published by the Pew Research Center shows that 67% of Democrats are frustrated with their political party.

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Windows of a house

Low-angle view of two dormer windows protruding from townhouse roof

Grace Cary, Getty Images

Go Home

The distance from Washington, D.C., to my hometown of York, Pennsylvania, is 100 miles. When I worked as a Congressional staffer in D.C., I could get out of town and be back where I grew up in about an hour and a half, at least so long as I avoided rush hour traffic. Those last miles as I crossed the Pennsylvania-Maryland border brought a sense of gratitude for the relationships I would be keeping up. At my nephew’s soccer game, at an English-style pub with my long-time best friends, with my mother at the breakfast table having a local newspaper in her hands, life was ordinary.

I would return to work in D.C. feeling grounded. I felt better connected to

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People talking near a river

Enjoying the Wild Mile in Chicago, Illinois

Jerry Attere

How a Floating Eco-Park Is Bringing Wildlife Back to the Chicago River

If you were to walk next to the Chicago River on North Ave, you’d find a ramp tucked away between venues and restaurants, seemingly leading down to river itself. Walking down it, you wouldn’t just find the river, but a sprawling park full of lush wildlife—the Wild Mile, a planned 17-acre floating eco-park along the North Branch Canal of the Chicago River.

Collin Quinn comes to the Wild Mile a few times a year to canoe along the river with his friends. “We go other places, but this is a real easy, convenient place for us,” he said. “Occasionally, we’ll see ducks or fish or animals in there. I like seeing it grow every year.”

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