I continue to find amusing the number of folks who seem to think that this year the census is some brand-new, super-intrusive overstepping of the government, especially in terms of asking you what your race is. “Oh,” the cries ring out, “look at how they did things in 1790.”
Folks, this is the era of the internet. We can look and see how they did things in 1790.
And what did they give a shit about in 1790? The name of the head of the household, how many people of roughly what age were living in it, what genders those folks where, and how many slaves they had, which was, of course, a way of asking about race.
I think that, if you’re going to be arguing for a return to the 1790s census, you should be arguing for the right to not have to name anyone but the head of the household. Of course, that’s bound to set up some red flags in your family–“Daddy, why can’t my name go on the Census?” “I don’t want the government to know you existed. I mean, exist.”
Still, people, my point is this–the internet exists. You are typing your angry rants (as do I, so no finger pointing here) on the internet. Look at the census forms before you start spouting off about what they did and didn’t count.
Tiny Cat Pants 
I’ve kinda noticed that EVERYTHING the government has done since the election of Obama is a “brand-new, super-intrusive overstepping of the government” among certain folks, regardless of how long it’s been done that way.
I’m afraid the bus has run on this one, tea partiers. The federal government has a well-established right to make basic inquiries about your household. They’ve been asking for most of the information asked on the current 2010 census since 1850.
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I just filled out our Census form and it asks for a lot less information than you can find on 20th-century censuses (only through 1930 are public currently). No questions about length of my marriage, or how many children I’ve borne (living or dead), or occupation, or country of my birth or my parents’ birth, or whether I’m literate or have served in the military.
Nothing but name, age, gender, race and relationship to head of household.