Connecticut recently pledged $500,000 to boost participation in the 2020 Census. Philanthropic foundations, including the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, will tack on more than $900,000 in additional funding.

“Today, this is not a question about whether Connecticut can afford to invest,” Melissa McCaw, Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, said at an Oct. 31 press conference. “We cannot afford to not invest to ensure that the important work we do for the taxpayers and the residents of Connecticut can continue next year and the years beyond.”

What exactly is at stake for Connecticut -- or any state -- in getting its population count right, and what happens to all that data?

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Courant reporter Stephen Singer discuss the 2020 Census -- what information is collected, how it’s used, and where it ends up -- on the latest Capitol Watch podcast.