The census is underway.

This summer, the U.S. Census Bureau is attempting to take an inventory of every man, woman and child living in the country. Since 1790, the bureau has counted heads every 10 years — an effort that constitutes the largest peacetime mobilization undertaken by the U.S. government. This year more than 700,000 people will conduct the census at a total cost of over $14 billion.

Among other things, the government will use the data to determine congressional districts and distribution of federal funds. Journalists will use the data to to tell the story of the ...

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There are more than 300 million people in the United States scattered across 3.79 million square miles. Those numbers speak to a diverse and complicated country. And yet every four years the nation’s political coverage falls into the trap of simply breaking that complex tapestry into 50 states and coloring them red or blue. Most journalists know, if not through experience then intuitively, this understanding of the American electorate is flawed. It captures none of the nuance and subcultures of most states. There are many Michigans in Michigan and many Georgias in Georgia. Defining them as one solid ... Read more ...