WITHDRAWN Effects of Asking a Citizenship Question on Future Survey Response

Music City Center 

A growing literature has investigated the effect of adding a citizenship question on survey nonresponse. This project expands on this literature by analyzing the impact of adding a citizenship question on future survey participation. We take advantage of the 2019 Census Test randomized control trial which sent half of the households a questionnaire with a citizenship question, while the rest received one without a citizenship question. We then link individuals in the 2019 Census Test sample housing units to their corresponding housing unit in the 2020 Census using independently constructed administrative records. We address the following questions with the linked data: Did the presence of a citizenship question on the 2019 Census Test affect self-response rates to the 2020 Census? Did the effect vary by demographic characteristics? To what extent did 2020 Census nonresponse follow up operations mitigate these effects?

Citizenship Question

Nonresponse

Survey Fatigue

Census

Administrative Records

Sensitive Questions 

Government Statistics Section