Survey says: 35 percent of Americans would expatriate

[Grand Torino]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102799503

 

A recent online poll of more than 2,000 adults by TransferWise, a peer-to-peer money transfer service based in the United Kingdom, revealed that 35 percent of American-born residents and emigrants would consider leaving the United States to live in another country. 

This percentage greatly increases for those age 18 to 34. More than half of millennials, a whopping 55 percent, said that they would consider leaving the U.S. for foreign shores. Among them, 43 percent of men and 38 percent of women noted that a higher salary would be a factor in their relocation decision.

Read more.

[MacGyver]

I would happily buy any one of them a one way ticket today to any foreign country of their choosing.  The only stipulation I would require is that they leave for two years, and at the end of that time should they want to repatriate, they repay me 150% of the original ticket price.

[10-Ring]

Heck I tried living in another state once, that lasted 4 months. I've entertained the idea before anyway just because you should always explore your options. I couldn't find anywhere in the world where I thought I would be happier than here. New Zealand seemed pretty attractive, I just wasn't crazy about certain laws and some of their politics. Edited July 3, 2015 by 10-Ring

[Falcon1]

I would happily buy any one of them a one way ticket today to any foreign country of their choosing.  The only stipulation I would require is that they leave for two years, and at the end of that time should they want to repatriate, they repay me 150% of the original ticket price.

 

Some of them are willing to go only because the job opportunities may be better there than here in the states.  My oldest son is working on his Ph.D. in math (paid for everything himself through scholarships starting freshman year of college), and he may look to Germany for a job in biomath after he graduates.  What concerns me is, is this the beginning of a brain-drain from the United States, a reversal of what has been going on for a half-century or more?

 

I don't know, of course, but with some of the highest corporate taxation rates in the world and ever-increasing governmental regulation, are we seeing the death of the goose that laid the golden egg?

[enfield]

We're in the best place in the world right now - the southern US. I don't expect that to change any time soon. Certainly not within my lifetime.

[JPR1959]

We're in the best place in the world right now - Tennessee. I don't expect that to change any time soon. Certainly not within my lifetime.

 

FIFY

[Jonnin]

There are a handful of places that are nice to live, including gun rights and freedoms.  A small handful.  Most of the higher paying (cited) countries are police states though, with limited freedoms (most of Europe, for example), or "second world" where poverty is rampant but an educated person might do very well (india, for example).

 

Take your typical 25 year old liberal weenine in NY or CA.   What is he seeing? High as crap taxes and cost of living.  A basic home costs MILLIONS and that is without any property to go with it.   He loses what, 80% of his income to state, city, and federal taxes?   He isn't a gun owner and does not understand what he actually HAS here even in a hellhole like those states, he hasn't the worldly knowledge to understand the freedoms he HAS in hand.  All he sees is a chance to make a living and better himself --- which is perfectly available right here in the states once you get away from the 4 or 5 complete idiot states, but this type of person probably considers England or the like to be equal to moving to another state and on top of that, being a liberal, he thinks that foreign "culture" is superior to our own by default.  

 

Can't blame him a bit, having seen what these people are brainwashed with from cradle to the grave....   it makes sense from his point of view.

[bersaguy]

When the Good Lord calls my number he will find me in Tennessee and I will be buried in Tennessee.  nuff said............ :up:

[gjohnsoniv]

Doesn't "more than 2,000 people" seem like a rather small sample size to claim 35% of Americans want to leave?

[FUJIMO]

Sounds like propaganda BS to me.

[MacGyver]

Delta's ready when you are...

[BigK]

Doesn't "more than 2,000 people" seem like a rather small sample size to claim 35% of Americans want to leave?

 

Believe it or not, from a mathematical perspective having a sample size of 2000 and a population of 300,000,000 your margin of error is only 2.75% when claiming your RANDOM sample acts like the overall population with a 99% confidence level.

 

The real problem with most of these polls is that they don't truly get a random sample. Conduct the poll in a rural area of TN or TX and that number will drop like a rock, I'd bet my best pistol on it.

Edited July 3, 2015 by BigK

[gjohnsoniv]

Believe it or not, from a mathematical perspective having a sample size of 2000 and a population of 300,000,000 your margin of error is only 2.75% when claiming your RANDOM sample acts like the overall population with a 99% confidence level.

The real problem with most of these polls is that they don't truly get a random sample. Conduct the poll in a rural area of TN or TX and that number will drop like a rock, I'd bet my best pistol on it.

Ok, well I stand corrected on the math aspect then. Your second part I'm in agreement with you.

[10-Ring]

[quote name="BigK" post="1283410" I'd bet my best pistol on it.[/quote]

I'm stealing that line!

[Jonnin]

but, the population centers will get more calls.   To 'randomly' sample your typical American ... well

roughly 250 of 300 million people are in cities, and roughly half of those are in the gigantic for sure liberal bent cities (talking over 2 million pop cities here, most over 5 mil).  But almost all major cities lean left (only texas really has huge cities that might be relatively heavily conservative)  ... this would explain the current state of the country.

 

so out of 2000,  if random via population density, it would not at all be strange to see well over 2/3 of the responses to *anything* being leftist.

If out of 2000 the sample was by geographic random selection,  the conservatives would win it hands down.   Neither one really "gets it" on the country's politics because sparse states still get a lot of say via the senate.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jonnin

[Ted S.]

Doesn't "more than 2,000 people" seem like a rather small sample size to claim 35% of Americans want to leave?

 

Yup, a quality random sample requires at least 5% of the total population in my opinion. But even then, you use one twentieth of the population to represent it and the other 95% that has not been surveyed (there are goodness of fit tests and other tools to provide fairy accurate analysis of the population, just not 100%; usually 90%, 95%, and 99%). Quality population samples of countries haven't commonly existed (The Census doesn't count as a sample, by the way).  The required time and capital is too great for most research entities to procure and delegate.

 

The internetis changing this, especially with "services" like Google analytics and other market research companies that get permission from websites as well as your computer to drop cookies that follow your online activity and collect data on users online activities.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Ted S.

[TNWNGR]

Nothing new. Expats have been going to South American and Caribbean countries in droves for the last several decades. Most are retirees others are on the lam for civil issues that won't get them extradited. These are some places I'd dearly love to visit but live in? No. Worse the drug cartel violence in Mexico and corruption in Mexico make it unsafe. Belize, is somewhat better but still has issues. Costa Rica is rapidly ceasing to be an inexpensive vacation retreat for shared condo ownership. Australia & New Zeeland have gone total socialist and social justice change oriented.      

[gregintenn]

I don't wish to leave the country, but the thought of hitting the reset button on our government sounds more appealing by the day.

[TNWNGR]

Well the whiskey rebellion started the big government ball then Mr. Lincoln stirred the pot a good bit, Mr. Wilson and F.D. Roosevelt had their turn at meddling too. Probably the most damming at setting up a disruptive social change government that has crippled generations of predominantly blacks was LBJ. I'd be interested in knowing what history says about the current POTUS fourth or fifty years from now.

[btq96r]

I did it for 2 1/2 years.  My job took me to Kuwait, and I had to get a residency visa to live there that long.  Uncle Sam still got a cut since even Americans living overseas have to file tax returns.  I also have a feeling the people answering the survey don't understand how tax laws work overseas.  Just because you're an American residing overseas doesn't exempt you from taxes owed to the country you're living in.  If you think American taxes are high, enjoy Europe.

 

Expatriating is one thing, renouncing citizenship is another.  Let's see how many people are willing to do that and live without a US passport.

Edited July 3, 2015 by btq96r

[Chucktshoes]

I did it for 2 1/2 years. My job took me to Kuwait, and I had to get a residency visa to live there that long. Uncle Sam still got a cut since even Americans living overseas have to file tax returns. I also have a feeling the people answering the survey don't understand how tax laws work overseas. Just because you're an American residing overseas doesn't exempt you from taxes owed to the country you're living in. If you think American taxes are high, enjoy Europe.

Expatriating is one thing, renouncing citizenship is another. Let's see how many people are willing to do that and live without a US passport.

Folks with money have been doing that with ever greater numbers.

[BrasilNuts]

I did it for 2 1/2 years.  My job took me to Kuwait, and I had to get a residency visa to live there that long.  Uncle Sam still got a cut since even Americans living overseas have to file tax returns.  I also have a feeling the people answering the survey don't understand how tax laws work overseas.  Just because you're an American residing overseas doesn't exempt you from taxes owed to the country you're living in.  If you think American taxes are high, enjoy Europe.
 
Expatriating is one thing, renouncing citizenship is another.  Let's see how many people are willing to do that and live without a US passport.

Well said.

Also, I bet 99% of the people they surveyed have never been out of the country and if they have it was for no more than a week. Things are different when it's not vacation and life sets in.

[TGO David]

The only other country I'd consider moving to is the Republic of Texas.  And that's because their state bird is the middle finger.  :cool:

[bersaguy]

I find this poll very interesting in one way. They do a poll wanting to know how many Americans would want to leave the United States for another country and get get a 35% number which proves nothing. If any one did a poll on how many people would like to move to the United States from where they now live the poll numbers would probably explode the calculator trying to find a number that high. People risk their lives every day to get into this country, Wonder why that is if this country is so damn bad????????...........JMHO!

[173rdABN]

I lived in Italy for a couple years. The strippers made it worth it.