Image: D. Myles Cullen/WhiteHouse.gov
Last week, Donald Trump's Commerce Department announced a plan to restore a question about citizenship to the census questionnaire for the first time since 1950. This seemingly harmless move—which the Justice Department argued would make it easier to enforce the Voting Rights Act—sent shockwaves through the country. California, New York, and Pennsylvania are suing over the change.The census, which is mandatory under the Constitution, determines how many representatives each state gets in Congress, which in turn affects the electoral college, effectively shaping our entire political system. It also determines how federal resources are apportioned. But adding questions can threaten this process, arguably making people feel too burdened by nosy questions to respond.VICE's Harry Cheadle talks about the possible ramifications of a new census question on today's episode.You can catch The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast on Acast, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. And sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.