18-29-year-olds acknowledge country’s problems in new online survey but still hold out hope

LatinaLista — If you thought young Americans were only interested in the Kardashians, Jay-Z, the latest shoes, horror movies or action-packed video games, a new survey detailing their political opinions would remind us that isn’t the case. After all, more young voters turned out in 2008 than ever before.

Generation Opportunity, a national nonprofit that purposely engages young Americans on economic issues, released their latest online poll results of 1,003 18-29-year-old Americans on how they feel about China, the national debt, energy dependence and foreign policy/security concerns.

Surprisingly, young Americans appear to be more realistic about the future of the country and its role in the world than some of the adults but at the same time, to their credit, they’re seeing some opportunity.

While 28 percent perceive a lack of opportunities to start and grow businesses in the U.S., 72 percent feel differently. It’s this majority that will be the innovators of tomorrow and carry the country into the 21st Century — as long as today’s adults do their jobs.

According to the survey:

• 55% of young Americans are not confident that America will still be a global leader in five years if the USA continues along the same path as the last few years.
• Only 36% of young Americans agree with the statement “generally speaking, things in the United States are heading in the right direction.”

When asked to rank the greatest threats to the national security of the United States, young Americans listed the following reasons:

• 59% – The national debt;
• 46% – Energy dependence;
• 43% – Indebtedness to foreign nations;
• 40% – Terrorism;
• 33% – Nuclear capable nations like Iran;
• 71% of young Americans are concerned that so many American jobs are going to foreign competitors like China.
• 72% of young Americans agree that with more and more companies leaving the USA in favor of locating their business in places like China and even Canada, President Obama should lower the taxes on American businesses to restore and expand jobs in America.

When asked why they thought American jobs are going to foreign competitors like China, young Americans indicated the following reasons:

• 69% – Cheaper wages overseas;
• 41% – High taxes on businesses in the U.S.;
• 30% – Too much regulation on businesses in the U.S.;
• 28% – Lack of opportunities to start and grow businesses in the U.S.;
• 2% – I do not think U.S. jobs are going overseas;
• 6% – Do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).
• 76% of Millennials view China as a danger: 48% as an economic threat and 28% as both an economic and military threat.