In 2020, the decennial census will gather the most complete picture of America of the past 10 years. A robust and accurate census is central to democratic society, as it affects federal funding allocations, redistricting, state and local budgets, and data-driven business and research decisions.

Underfunding, the addition of a citizenship question, and the introduction of an online option all challenge the accuracy of the 2020 Census. On Urban Wire, Urban Institute researchers break down the basics: what the census is, why it matters, and what’s at stake.