@datahistorian.bsky.social
Retired History Prof, UW-Milwaukee, https://uwm.edu/history/about/directory/anderson-margo/
History of Data, Politics of Numbers.
Latest book [with William Seltzer]: Use and Misuse of the U.S. Census
History of Data, Politics of Numbers.
Latest book [with William Seltzer]: Use and Misuse of the U.S. Census
...They wrote the algorithm that apportions “according to their respective numbers….” Spoiler alert: the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution.
November 8, 2025 at 10:36 PM
...They wrote the algorithm that apportions “according to their respective numbers….” Spoiler alert: the filibuster isn’t in the Constitution.
Folks arguing about numbers, how many states [add DC and Puerto Rico maybe], what it takes to pass a bill in the Senate, [50+1 or 60]. Why only 2 senators no matter how “big” the state is - framers worried about that too....
November 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Folks arguing about numbers, how many states [add DC and Puerto Rico maybe], what it takes to pass a bill in the Senate, [50+1 or 60]. Why only 2 senators no matter how “big” the state is - framers worried about that too....
....which was a tried and true technique in the past. Ex: In 1889-90, Cong admitted ND, SD, WY, ID, WA, MT. 12 senators, 7 reps. Total pop for the 6 states - ~same size as city of Chicago at the time. Worked for Republicans!
November 5, 2025 at 4:48 PM
....which was a tried and true technique in the past. Ex: In 1889-90, Cong admitted ND, SD, WY, ID, WA, MT. 12 senators, 7 reps. Total pop for the 6 states - ~same size as city of Chicago at the time. Worked for Republicans!
....Cong. could “add” them to the House, growing the body from 425 to 430 or 431 members. Or Cong. could reapportion the whole House, keeping the body at 425 members and taking away seats from other states.
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
....Cong. could “add” them to the House, growing the body from 425 to 430 or 431 members. Or Cong. could reapportion the whole House, keeping the body at 425 members and taking away seats from other states.
Whoa! Someone else recognizes how the algorithm in the Constitution works to structure political outcomes and party balances. If Cong. admitted DC and Puerto Rico as states, there’d likely be a 5-6 more House members and 4 more senators. ...
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Whoa! Someone else recognizes how the algorithm in the Constitution works to structure political outcomes and party balances. If Cong. admitted DC and Puerto Rico as states, there’d likely be a 5-6 more House members and 4 more senators. ...
Founders were looking for metrics, and one was linking representation and taxation in Article 1, Section 2, paragraph 3. Which has bequeathed us the Electoral College. History matters. Compicated.
October 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Founders were looking for metrics, and one was linking representation and taxation in Article 1, Section 2, paragraph 3. Which has bequeathed us the Electoral College. History matters. Compicated.
Slight historical edit to clarify and improve.
". ~90% of revenue when it was written….”
Not “when it was written.” True after. See Einhorn’s American Slavery, American Taxation. Need to get the “direct taxation” [deadletter] provision into the narrative of what the founders actually talked about.
". ~90% of revenue when it was written….”
Not “when it was written.” True after. See Einhorn’s American Slavery, American Taxation. Need to get the “direct taxation” [deadletter] provision into the narrative of what the founders actually talked about.
October 26, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Slight historical edit to clarify and improve.
". ~90% of revenue when it was written….”
Not “when it was written.” True after. See Einhorn’s American Slavery, American Taxation. Need to get the “direct taxation” [deadletter] provision into the narrative of what the founders actually talked about.
". ~90% of revenue when it was written….”
Not “when it was written.” True after. See Einhorn’s American Slavery, American Taxation. Need to get the “direct taxation” [deadletter] provision into the narrative of what the founders actually talked about.
To paraphrase an old meme….It’s the Demography, Stupid….” or an even older on, The people out of doors….”
October 19, 2025 at 10:01 PM
To paraphrase an old meme….It’s the Demography, Stupid….” or an even older on, The people out of doors….”
And for how things went on the ground, intergovernmentally, that is [geek that I am...], see
kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700639687/
kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700639687/
Counting Like a State
An inside look at the 2020 Census that shows the importance of state and local cooperation in the complex federal project of census taking.The census plays a...
kansaspress.ku.edu
October 10, 2025 at 10:23 PM
And for how things went on the ground, intergovernmentally, that is [geek that I am...], see
kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700639687/
kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700639687/
For background on these matters, what happened in 2020, see below. It's almost 500 pages!
www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/pan...
www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/pan...
www.nationalacademies.org
October 10, 2025 at 10:15 PM
For background on these matters, what happened in 2020, see below. It's almost 500 pages!
www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/pan...
www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/pan...
Excellent. Look forward to wide promotion of this effort.
September 13, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Excellent. Look forward to wide promotion of this effort.
Can PRB, or a coalition of state data centers pick up the list?
September 12, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Can PRB, or a coalition of state data centers pick up the list?
Where in law is there a right for a person/institution/business to know who is accessing their "data"?
August 28, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Where in law is there a right for a person/institution/business to know who is accessing their "data"?
Yup...just found one of our census amici briefs cited in fn 152,
repository.law.wisc.edu/s/uwlaw/medi...
repository.law.wisc.edu/s/uwlaw/medi...
UW Law Digital Repository Media · University of Wisconsin Law School Digital Repository · University of Wisconsin Law School Digital Repository
repository.law.wisc.edu
August 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Yup...just found one of our census amici briefs cited in fn 152,
repository.law.wisc.edu/s/uwlaw/medi...
repository.law.wisc.edu/s/uwlaw/medi...