[An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. -- Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution
Every ten years we wait for our little census forms to come in the mail so we can help the government count heads. Article I of the U.S. Constitution mandates such an enumeration for the sole purpose of determining the number of representatives within a given geographical area and the possible redrawing of Congressional Districts. According to the Constitution, we must have one representative for no more than every 30,000 people. Most people understand the reason for the census and most comply.
