Despite a slowing of economic growth within China, and the extreme drop within the Chinese stock market, many Americans still view China as an economic and political threat according to a new survey published by the Pew Research Center.

For the past three decades, China has seen substantial economic growth due to an increase in worldwide trade. This increase in economic growth and its reach into countries like Brazil and Australia has created anxiety among Americans regarding China�s power.

Americans view the large amount of American debt held by China and the loss of US jobs to China as the most important concerns, with a majority of Americans viewing both issues as �Very Serious�.

According to a Pew Research Center Survey:

�All three economic issues are rated as very serious problems by roughly half or more of the American public. Two-in-three say the large amount of U.S. debt held by China ($1.27 trillion) is a very serious problem, and six-in-ten hold this view about the loss of jobs to China.�

In a February Gallup poll, at least 84% of Americans viewed the economic power of China as a �critical� or �important� threat to the interest of the United States in the next 10 years. That same Gallup poll also reported that 53% of Americans view China either �Mostly or Very Unfavorable�. However, it is  important to note that this data was collected and published before the recent heavy declines in the Chinese stock market.

In general, America�s perceptions of China are largely stable and negative. In each Pew Research Center survey since 2013, roughly half or more of those surveyed have expressed a negative view of China which is still reflected in the 2015 surveys.

Further Reading:

�China� http://www.gallup.com/poll/1627/china.aspx

�American�s Concerns about China: Economics, Cyber Attacks, Human Rights Top the List� http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/09/09/americans-concerns-about-china-economics-cyberattacks-human-rights-top-the-list/

�How Powerful is China?� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qaoz_eXM4k

�Will China�s Economic Slump Create a Global Recession?� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBzvfgVY4hU

Youth, Internet, & Social Media

A report published this spring by the Pew Research Center finds that 24% of teens go online �almost constantly. In addition Pew also reports that some groups, especially young adults, those with high levels of education, and those in more affluent households, internet penetration is at full saturation levels.

This high usage of social media can be partially explained by the �the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones.� Pew reports Nearly three-quarters of teens have or have access to a smartphone. Furthermore, Gallup reports that young adults often have a different library of technological devices with �smartphone ownership among the young is [being] nearly universal (88%), and� the most common device among [the youth].�

Internet usage has also seen an overall increase with 84% Americans using the internet compared to 52% in 2000. Furthermore, Gallup found that Sixty-two percent of Americans say mobile technology has increased their interpersonal communication "a lot," with another 27% saying it has increased it "a little."

Asked which platforms they used most often, the overall population of teens (ages 13 to 17) reported that Facebook was the site they used most frequently (41% said that), followed by Instagram (20%) and Snapchat (11%).

Read More:

Americans' Tech Tastes Change With Times (by Gallup)
Americans� Internet Access: 2000-2015 (by Pew)
Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015 (by Pew)

Growing Percentage of Americans Favor Taxing the Rich To Fix Unfair Wealth Distribution

The latest Gallup Economy and Personal Finance survey indicates that about two-thirds of Americans believe that money and wealth distribution is unfair in the United States.  This percentage has remained largely unchanged since 1984, when Gallup started polling respondents about their attitudes toward wealth distribution.

These attitudes are strongly correlated with partisanship and income.  Large majorities of Democrats, Liberals, and those with incomes below $30,000 believe that wealth distribution is unfair.

Fifty-two percent of Americans believe that a better wealth distribution can be achieved by taxing the rich more heavily.  This number has increased steadily over the last 75 years: in 1940, 35 percent supported taxing the rich more, while 54 percent opposed this idea.

Gallup analysts conclude, based on these results, that:

"Analyzing how Americans respond to both questions about inequality shows that nearly half of Americans (46%) are strong redistributionists -- in the sense that they believe the distribution of wealth and income is not fair, and endorse heavy taxes on the rich as a way of redistributing wealth. One in four are in essence free-market advocates -- sanguine about the distribution of wealth and income and not supporting heavy taxes on the rich. Another 16% say the income and wealth distribution is not fair, but don't endorse heavy taxes as a remedy. A small percentage have the somewhat contradictory views of believing that the distribution is fair but favoring heavy taxes on the rich."

Read more:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/182987/americans-continue-say-wealth-distribution-unfair.aspx?utm_source=Economy&utm_medium=newsfeed&utm_campaign=tiles

TeachingwithData.org:
Wealth Inequality in America (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3922)
Interacting with America (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3041)
Studies in Income and Wealth (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3255)
Social Class and Attitudes about Inequality: A Data-Driven Learning Guide (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3459)
Income Inequality In the United States (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3182)