Up the Decade! 50 Years of Astronomical Prioritizations and Predictions

It has been nearly 50 years since the American astronomical community engaged in its first decadal survey, designed to identify trends in research, predict changes in the community, and identify the government-sponsored facilities required to achieve these goals. There have been 5 more such surveys since the initial Whitford report, the 6th reporting in fall, 2010. The talk will explore what we asked for, which we got (about a third of the total requested), the demographics of the survey committees, and several other aspects of the reports and the astronomers they represent.