Public Policy and Advocacy Strategies

Issue Spotlight

The U.S. Census Bureau has launched address canvassing, the first major field operation of the 2020 Census. Address canvassing improves and refines the Census Bureau’s address list of households nationwide, which is necessary to deliver invitations to respond to the census. The address list plays a vital role in ensuring a complete and accurate count of everyone living in the United States.

A recent blog post by Robert Hughes, President & CEO of the Missouri Foundation for Health argues that discussions of our nation's safety net should include the benefits that all income groups receive, both the conventional safety net for the poor and the unseen safety net made available to more affluent Americans through our tax code. He states, "When we use the phrase 'safety net' we should begin with the simple fact that virtually all Americans benefit from public funding to help address health, housing, and other basic needs. Our task should be moving toward greater equity, based on the understanding that our current public safety net resources are tilted toward the wealthy, not the poor."