Federal Household and Business Surveys

Federal Household and Business Surveys

An important role fulfilled by CNSTAT panels is to evaluate federal household and business surveys and consider ways in which they can be improved and updated, ranging from methods to increase the efficiency of data collection to enhancing the usability of the data. Workshops organized by CNSTAT have brought together leaders in the statistical, policy analysis, and research communities to discuss not only challenges common to federal household surveys, such as declining response rates and the need to coordinate research on longitudinal studies, but also challenges common to business surveys, such as impediments to developing a synchronized business address list for drawing samples.

CNSTAT panels have advised the Bureau of Labor Statistics on options for redesigning the Consumer Expenditure Surveys and the Energy Information Administration on redesign options for the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey and Residential Energy Consumption Survey; they have also provided guidance on improving the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Agricultural Resource Management Survey, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) surveys of research and development expenditures (in academia, the business sector, and government), and other flagship household and business surveys of the federal statistical system. Studies in progress are examining the Census Bureau’s annual economic surveys, the NCSES approach to measuring the science and engineering workforce, and, by means of a standing committee, the future of NSF-supported social science surveys.

Completed Projects and Workshops

Review and Evaluation of the 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation Content and Design

Standing Committee on the Future of NSF-Funded Social Science Surveys

Measuring What We Spend: Toward a New Consumer Expenditure Survey

Measuring Rape and Sexual Assault in BJS Household Surveys

Relevant Reports

	The 2014 Redesign of the Survey of Income and Program ParticipationAn Assessment (CNSTAT) 2017 The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is a national, longitudinal household survey conducted by the Census Bureau. SIPP serves as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of... Read more

	Estimating the Incidence of Rape and Sexual Assault (CNSTAT) 2014 The Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measures the rates at which Americans are victims of crimes, including rape and sexual assault, but there is concern... Read more

	Nonresponse in Social Science SurveysA Research Agenda (CNSTAT) 2013 For many household surveys in the United States, responses rates have been steadily declining for at least the past two decades. A similar decline in survey response can be observed in all wealthy... Read more

	Measuring What We SpendToward a New Consumer Expenditure Survey (CNSTAT) 2013 The Consumer Expenditure (CE) surveys are the only source of information on the complete range of consumers' expenditures and incomes in the United States, as well as the characteristics of those... Read more

	Effective Tracking of Building Energy UseImproving the Commercial Buildings and Residential Energy Consumption Surveys (CNSTAT,BEES) 2012 The United States is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's energy consumption. Population growth, and the associated growth in housing, commercial floor space, transportation, goods, and... Read more

	The Future of Federal Household SurveysSummary of a Workshop (CNSTAT) 2011 Federal household surveys today face several significant challenges including: increasing costs of data collection, declining response rates, perceptions of increasing response burden, inadequate... Read more

	Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey Letter Report (CNSTAT) 2010 The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a survey of commercial buildings in the United States, mandated by Congress to provide comprehensive information about energy use in... Read more

	Reengineering the Survey of Income and Program Participation (CNSTAT) 2009 Beginning in 2006, the Census Bureau embarked on a program to reengineer the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to reduce its costs and improve data quality and timeliness. The Bureau... Read more

	Surveying VictimsOptions for Conducting the National Crime Victimization Survey (CNSTAT,CLAJ) 2008 It is easy to underestimate how little was known about crimes and victims before the findings of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) became common wisdom. In the late 1960s, knowledge of... Read more

	The National Children's Study Research PlanA Review (CNSTAT,BOCYF,BPH) 2008 The National Children's Study (NCS) is planned to be the largest long-term study of environmental and genetic effects on children's health ever conducted in the United States. It proposes to examine... Read more

	Understanding American AgricultureChallenges for the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (CNSTAT) 2007 The Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is the federal government's primary source of information on the financial condition, production practices, and resource use on farms, as well as the... Read more

	Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United StatesAn Assessment of the Measure (CNSTAT) 2006 Read more

	Measuring Personal Travel and Goods MovementA Review of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Surveys -- Special Report 277 (CNSTAT) 2006 TRB Special Report 277 - Measuring Personal Travel and Goods Movement recommends a series of actions the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) should take to... Read more

	Measuring Housing Discrimination in a National StudyReport of a Workshop (CBASSE) 2002 Federal law prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of seven protected classes including race. Despite 30 years of legal prohibition under the Fair Housing Act, however, there is evidence of... Read more

	Letter Report to the Census Bureau on the Design for the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (ACE) Survey (CBASSE) 1999 Read more

	Longitudinal Surveys of Children (CBASSE) 1998 The Committee and the Board on Children, Youth, and Families convened in September a workshop to discuss ways to foster greater collaboration and sharing of information among principal investigators... Read more

	The Future of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (CBASSE) 1993 This book evaluates changes needed to improve the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Conducted by the Census Bureau, SIPP is a major continuing... Read more

	Toward a National Health Care SurveyA Data System for the 21st Century (CBASSE) 1992 The nation's health care system has changed dramatically and the country is debating further significant changes. Comprehensive information is needed to guide policymakers in understanding and... Read more