Monday, March 08, 2010

Census 2010, the Constitution, and Compulsion

The Center for a Stateless Society posts a piece on the census written by Thomas L. Knapp titled Count, Dracula which I recently commented on at their site.

Roderick T. Long read Knapp’s piece and also commented, stating the following.

Although as an anarchist I don’t especially care what the Constitution says one way or another, it’s worth noting that all the Constitution authorizes is the mere conducting of a census; it doesn’t authorize mandating compliance, since forcing people to answer is not essential to the conducting of a census. (Private groups conduct surveys all the time without enjoying such power.) So as I read the Constitution (though of course the government doesn’t give a damn about how I read it), even if one accepts the Constitution’s authority there is still no legally binding obligation to answer any of the questions.

Will you allow yourself to be compelled, forced, by the government to complete the census form via their threats of fines?

Posted by John Venlet on 03/08 at 09:10 AM
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