Head count

Americans are warming up to the 2010 Census. In January, one in five Americans said they did not care to participate in the census, according to the Pew Research Center. Now that the process is under way, one in 10 said they might not return the census form.

That's an improvement. Perhaps the message is getting across: the head count is important, used to apportion U.S. House seats and distribute more than $400 billion in federal aid.

Some people do not see the use in participating. Others want the government to stay out of their business.

Some 120 million census forms are arriving at American homes and mailboxes this week. In May census takers will visit homes that fail to return their forms.

It is a good sign that 87 percent of respondents reported that they had completed their 10-question form, or intended to, saying that it was "important" or a civic duty.

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