Supporting Statement B - AABS1516

Supporting Statement B: Annual Arts Benchmarking Survey
B.

COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL
METHODS

B.1. Universe and Respondent Selection
The Census Bureau will conduct the AABS as a February supplement in conjunction with
the CPS. The universe is the more than 100 million housing units in the 3,141 counties
and independent cities that make up the United States. From this universe, the Bureau
will select a sample of approximately 72,000 households each month, of which
approximately 60,000 households are eligible to be interviewed (most ineligible housing
units are non-residential or unoccupied). About 55,500 households will be interviewed
each month. The Bureau will administer the AABS supplement to a random one-quarter
of the 60,000 eligible households, or the approximately 15,000 households who are in
two of the CPS months in sample rotations. In larger households, a second supplemental
AABS interview will be administered. The Census Bureau estimated that based on the
2013 and 2014 AABS we should expect that there will be approximately 36,000 adults
eligible for the 2015 and 2016 AABS supplements. Since the AABS allows proxy
responses for spouses or partners, we expect that data will be collected on approximately
18,000 adults each year. This is what occurred in the 2013 AABS and 2014 AABS using
the same sampling procedures. The exact number of interviews will ultimately depend
on the supplemental response rate. However, based on prior experience and the current
design that permits some proxy responses, we expect the supplement response rate to be
close to the 2013 AABS Supplement response rate, which was approximately 86.9%.

B.2. Procedures for Collecting Information
The main data for the Annual Arts Benchmarking Arts Attendance and Arts Learning
survey will be collected as a supplemental survey associated with the February 2015
CPS. The main data for the Annual Arts Benchmarking Arts Creation and Performance
survey will be collected as a supplemental survey associated with the February 2016
CPS. Attachment L gives an overview of the CPS sample design and weighting.

B.3.

Methods for Maximizing Response Rate

One of the main reasons that the NEA has chosen to have the AABS as a supplement to
the CPS is the fact that the CPS has historically achieved higher response rates than what
would otherwise be possible. To avoid breakoffs we have kept the number of
supplemental questions to a minimum. We also have plans (described in the next
section) to test each question to ensure that the questions are easy to answer and will not
lead to any significant item nonresponse. As with the SPPA, to avoid lower response
rates we have given the Census Bureau permission to collect the information via proxy
from a knowledgeable adult in the event that the target respondent is unavailable during
1

the CPS field period. Finally, the Census Bureau’s final AABS supplement survey
weights include a nonresponse adjustment, which reduces potential nonresponse bias.
Attachments
A.

Title 13, Section 182, United States Code

B.

First Federal Register Notice, Vol. 79, No. 66, p. 19127

C.

Second Federal Register Notice, Vol. 79, No. 113, p. 33787

D.

AABS Questionnaire: Arts Attendance and Arts Learning

E.

AABS Questionnaire: Arts Creation and Performance

F.

CPS Advance Letter

G.

Confidentiality Brochure

H.

Fact Sheet for the Current Population Survey

I.

2012 SPPA Results: http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/highlights-from-2012SPPA.pdf

J.

Source and Accuracy Statement (2012 CPS/SPPA):
http://www.census.gov/prod/techdoc/cps/cpsjul12.pdf

K.

2012 SPPA User’s Guide: http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/UsersGuide%20_revised_sept.pdf

L.

Overview of CPS Sample Design and Methodology

2