Utilizing Statistics about Governments Governments DivisionEconomic Programs DirectorateU.S. Census Bureau

Presented at the Pennsylvania State Data Center Annual Conference

September 20, 2012

Disclaimer: This report is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion of work in progress. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Introduction

Main Purposes of Government Statistics

• Provide Economic Statistics about Governments• Act as a Public-sector Counterpart to Economic Data of Business, Industry,

and Services• Track Activity of Governments over Time

Response is Voluntary

Virtually no Confidentiality Restriction

Government Statistics Data

Provide Information on the Structure, Function, Finances, Taxation, Employment, and Retirement Systems Within our Nation's Approximately 89,000 State and Local Governments

Data are Publicly Available and Used by Other Federal Agencies, State and Local Legislators, Researchers, Businesses, and Individuals

Government Statistics Data

Quinquennial – Every 5 Years

• Census of Governments – Years Ending in ‘2’ and ‘7’ (Government Organization, Government Employment, Government Finance)

Annual

• Federal, State, and Local Government Employment• State and Local Government Finance• Individual Products on Taxes, Public Pensions, and School Finances

Quarterly

• State and Local Government Tax Revenues • Revenues, Benefits, and Financial Holdings of Public-Employment

Retirement Systems

History of the Census of Governments

1840

Decennial Census Collected Some Data on the Number and Types of Schools and Pupils 18

50

Information Collected in the Decennial Census Included tax Levies, Governmental Debt, and Wealth, and the Number and Types of Schools and Their Pupils

1880

Inquiries Included the Number of Schools , Details About Cities Including Sewage and Drainage, Utilities, and Public Services and 105 Additional Questions That Assessed Governments’ Financial Conditions

1902

First Comprehensive Compilation of Governmental Data by the new “Census Office” 19

50

Congress Enacted Legislation Which Provided That a “Census of Governments” be Taken Every 5 Years, for Years Ending in “2” and “7” (Title 13, Section 161, U.S. Code)

1957

First Census of Governments Focusing on Four Major Areas of Data Collection-Governmental Organization-Taxable Property Values-Employment-Finances

Governments as Producers

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Net Exports -3.8%

Personal Consumption

71.2%

Private Domestic Investment

12.3%

Government Expenditure

20.3%

Federal 39.9% of

govt (8.1% of GDP)

State & local 60.1% of

govt (12.2% of GDP)

Per

cent

age

Components of Gross Domestic ProductSource: BEA

Government Statistics in the News

Census of Governments

Government Organization

• Number of and Type • Characteristics of Local Governments by State and Type

Government Employment

• Number of Employees Part-Time and Full-Time• One Month Payroll

Government Finance

• Revenues• Expenditures• Debt• Cash and Securities

• Taxes• Pensions • Education

Finances

Milestones: 2012 Census of Governments

Organization• Initial Mail: October 2011 Preliminary Publication: August 2012

Employment• Initial Mail: March 2012 Preliminary Publication: December 2013

Finance• State and Local Finances

– Initial Mail: October 2012 Preliminary Publication: December 2014• Retirement

– Initial Mail: October 2012 Preliminary Publication: February 2014• Education Finances

– Initial Mail: January 2013 Preliminary Publication: June 2014

Definition of a Governmemnt

Existence as an Organized Entity

• Right of Perpetual Succession• Right to Make Contracts• Right to Sue and be Sued

Governmental Character

• Public Accountability• Power to Tax

Substantial Autonomy

• Fiscal Independence• Administrative Independence

• Reference Period: Status as of October 11, 2011• Survey of Local Governments in the United States• Legal Research

Data Collection

• Counts of Local Governments by State and by Type of Government – Released in August 2012

• Individual State Descriptions – Released in July 2013

Content and Products

Government Organization

89,054Government

Organizations

89,004Local

Governments

38,917General Purpose

Governments

3,031Counties

19,522Cities

16,364Townships

50,087 Special Purpose

Governments

37,203Special Districts

12,884Independent

School Districts

50 State

Governments

Types of GovernmentsMeasured and Defined(Preliminary Estimates)

Source: 2012 Census of Governments (preliminary estimates)

The Many Layers of American Government

Source: 2012 Census of Governments

Types of Governments in Pennsylvania

Source: 2012 Census of Governments (Preliminary Estimates)

• 2nd in the number of local governments (4,905)• 2nd in the number of towns and townships (1,546)• 3rd in the number of municipalities (1,015)• 10th in the number of independent school district governments (514)• 6th in the number of special districts (1,764)• Tied for 21st with FL and SD in the number of counties (66)

Government Employment

• Reference Period: Pay Period Including March 12• Standard Weekly Hours Worked for Full-Time Employees• Pay-Period Intervals for Full-Time and Part-Time• Full-Time and Part-Time Employees and Payroll by

Functional Activity• State Governments – Central (Single Point) Collection• Local Governments – Mail Canvass

Data Collection

• Census of Governments – Released in December 2013 • Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll –

Preliminary Release in August

Content and Products

United States Pennsylvania

• 727,733 S&L government employees

• Total payroll for March 2011 was $2.6 Billion

• 57.4% are employed in public education systems• 307,683 are in K-12• 105,232 are in Higher

Education

• 19,412,954 S&L government employees

• Total payroll for March 2011 was $70.4 Billion

• 57.2 % are employed in public education systems• 7,845,337 are in K-12• 3,164,669 are in Higher

Education

Annual Employment Statistics

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll

Government Finance

• Measures Revenues, Expenditures, Indebtedness, Cash and Security Holdings, Taxes, and Pensions

• Does not Measure Programs or Funds• Compilation from Administrative Records• Data for Nearly 15,000 School Districts from State

Government Data Coordinators• Direct Collection• Joint Census Bureau-State Government Data Collection

(Central Collection) State Governments – Central (Single Point) Collection

• Local Governments – Mail Canvass and Internet Collection• Response Rates Vary by: Survey Component, Product,

State, and Type of Government

Data Collection

Government Finance

Reference Period: Fiscal Years Ending Between July 1, and June 30

The Number of Governments Whose Fiscal Year Ends in the Month of:

• Jan ……… 351• Feb ……… 1,662• Mar ……… 4,072• April ……... 2,595• May ……… 938• June …….. 33,809

• July ………. 547• Aug ………. 2,410• Sept ……… 6,267• Oct ……….. 418• Nov ………. 304• Dec ………. 36,153

Source: 2007 Census of Governments

Sources of Tax Revenue – Variety Among States

Percent Distribution of State Government Tax RevenueFiscal Year

2011

Total %

Sales and Gross ReceiptsLicense Taxes Income Taxes All Other Taxes

  Sales TotalGeneral Sales

Selective Sales

License Taxes Total

Income Taxes Total

Individual Income

Corporation Income

All Other Taxes Total

Property Taxes

Other Taxes

U.S. Average 100 48.3 31.0 17.4 6.9 39.5 34.2 5.3 5.3 1.8 3.5

                       

Alaska 100 4.6 x 4.6 2.5 13.0  x 13.0 79.8 3.3 76.5

                       

Pennsylvania 100 51.9 27.7 24.2 8.0 36.5 30.4 6.1 3.7 0.2 3.5

                       

Florida 100 83.4 59.4 24.0 6.6 5.7   5.7 4.3 >.01 4.3

                       

California 100 38.7 26.6 12.1 7.0 51.5 43.3 8.2 2.8 2.8 .03

                       

Delaware 100 16.3   16.3 38.9 42.6 31.9 10.7 2.2 x  2.2

Source: 2011 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections

www.census.gov/govs

Thank YouPaul ReyesOutreach and Education Branch

Brigitte WehrsChief, Outreach and Education Branch Governments Division

Governments DivisionU.S. Census Bureaugovs.cms.inquiry@census.gov1-800-242-2184