How plausible is Augustus' initiation of a census in Israel around the time of Jesus' birth?

It's often claimed that the Romans wouldn't have enacted a census in a client kingdom, which Israel was at the time of Jesus' birth. See Glenn Miller's argument to the contrary here and here. And Augustus wouldn't have to be directly responsible for the census in order for Luke's account to be accurate. Indirect involvement would be sufficient. If Herod implemented a census in an effort to please Augustus and conform Israel to Roman culture, as Herod did in other contexts, that would be enough to justify Luke's comments. The process of taking a census of the empire was initiated by Augustus. Whether that led to a census in Israel in a more direct or more indirect manner is a secondary issue, and the accuracy of Luke's account doesn't depend on it.

Another common objection is the alleged silence of sources other than Luke on the existence of a census in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth. I've addressed that subject before, such as in a post a couple of years ago. But here are some other points that can be made about both of the objections under consideration:

"Nevertheless, the objection that Augustus would not interfere with Herod's subjects in the matter of taxation is untenable. When Palestine was divided among Herod's three sons, Augustus ordered that the taxes of the Samaritans should be reduced by one-fourth, because they had not taken part in the revolt against Varus ([Josephus] Ant. xvii. 11. 4; B. J. ii. 6. 3); and this was before Palestine became a Roman province. If he could do that, he could require information as to taxation throughout Palestine; and the obsequious Herod would not attempt to resist. The value of such information would be great. It would show whether the tribute paid (if tribute was paid) was adequate; and it would enable Augustus to decide how to deal with Palestine in the future. If he knew that Herod's health was failing, he would be anxious to get the information before Herod's death; and thus the census would take place just at the time indicated by Lk., viz. in the last months of the reign of Herod." (Alfred Plummer, A Critical And Exegetical Commentary On The Gospel According To St. Luke [New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1896], 49)

"Hayles 1974: 27-28 notes that Josephus does not call the census an innovation and that what was new was the administrative set-up introduced in Judea in A.D. 6. He also notes how Josephus omits the mention of other known censuses, even in his discussion of contemporary history in the Jewish War. Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.1 §§3-4 speaks of taxation as the problem, but only as an indication of Israel's absence of liberty." (Darrell Bock, Luke, Volume 1, 1:1-9:50 [Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1994], n. 14 on 906)

"Most of the taxes in Egypt itself are documented only by papyri and ostraka; this shows how little we can rely on arguments from silence for the levy of similar taxes elsewhere." (P.A. Brunt, The Journal Of Roman Studies, vol. 71 [1981], "The Revenues Of Rome", 163)

I've written a lot about Luke's census account in other posts. Here's one that provides summaries of some of the issues involved.