Census Bureau or Investigation Bureau?

I need to understand something. If the Census bureau is conducting a survey why do they need your personal information, let alone track you down through your previous landlord (Although the law does not require the landlord to provide your forwarding address , through trick and tactics the Field reps. are able to dup them into giving the info!!)...
Anyway, while doing my sunday afternoon readin at ATS, A $#% Census Bureau rep interpeted me and tried to make me believe that he has some kind of authority to make me take a Survey that I trashed when I got in the mail. Anyway, I told him that I refuse to answer any question and that I will need to understand a litle bit more about it ( It was wierd...) he then just like a good old car Sellsmen tried to make me give personal info ( name, previous address, DOB) according to him to confirm that I am the person. I told him that it was time for him to leave or else (Local sherriff here is really bored not much sunday activity ...
oh Well! any thoughts guys! was I wrong? I read somewhere that you could get fined? Aren't survey supposed to be random and if people don't respond you don't include them???? Am I missing something? Help!!

Note: This is not advice, just an exercise of free speech, and a hint of where to look.

The census bureau only has the ability to ask for a count of people in your household, any more is unconstitutional. See Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the U.S. Constitution

Technically, it appears, they can only ask for the above information.

However, I think you give yourself too much credit that the government has a distinct focus on your personal life. They want information about everybody to give them a better picture of the make-up of the nation. How do you think they know how much of the population is in poverty, how many go without healthcare, etc...

If people don't answer questions, then the government is really powerless to help them. You can't fix a problem if you don't know it exists.

As I once worked for the Dept. of Commerce (Bureau of the Census), I can tell you this much. The statistics gathered determines the amount of funding that the county gets from the state. It is actually reevaluated every ten years and is quite well paying if you can get it.

I participated in a US Census study that lasted for almost 4 years. I was interviewed every 6 months on job status, earnings, health and healthcare practices, education etc... The Census Bureau did a wonderful job of providing me the statistics that they were amassing and updates on their study progress. The purpose of the study was determine the demographics of who used what government programs and how they were used. The study was to determine funding changes in these federal programs over the next decade to ensure that the government was getting it's best bang for it's buck (BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!).

I was more than happy to participate and didn't feel that there was anything at all sinister about the study.