海角大神

California revives talk of secession with #Calexit, but it鈥檚 not the only one

The hashtag #Calexit trended on Wednesday as some Californians expressed their frustrations with the election results, calling for secession from the United States.

Once again, the idea of a California secession emerged on Wednesday as the hashtag #Calexit trended on social media.

While some users may have merely used it as a medium to express their frustrations at the election results on Tuesday, the fringe movement calling for independence of California has actually existed for years, drawing support from some Californians who feel that their ideologies have diverged from the rest of the country so much that it has stalled their progress.

鈥淚n our view, the United States of America represents so many things that聽 and our continued statehood means California will continue subsidizing the other states to our own detriment,鈥� wrote Yes California, a grass-roots organization that is hoping to put the issue on the 2019 ballot, in a statement. 鈥淐alifornia could do more good as an independent country than it is able to do as a just a US state.鈥�

But a look back at modern history reveals that California鈥檚 secession movement is not an anomaly. In fact, in 2012 after President Obama鈥檚 reelection, the White House was flooded with secession petitions from , including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. While a secession succeeding may be unlikely, the increasing intensity, some scholars say, should be noted for serving as a warning sign of growing polarization 鈥� one that signifies a disconnect between federal and state or local politics in some corners of the country.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have much talk about secession until 15 years ago ... we鈥檝e seen further growth in support for secession,鈥� Jason Sorens, department of government lecturer at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., tells 海角大神 in a phone interview. 聽Sorens is also the founder of聽, a libertarian group in New Hampshire.聽鈥淚 do think that voters have sorted more clearly into two parties and have ideologically diverged and created more alienation from the federal government.鈥�

According to Dr. Sorens, secession movements gained momentum in the 2000s, when voters rebelled against issues such as the military prison at Guant谩namo Bay and the war in Iraq. Subsequent years saw support for secession alternating between parties, with liberals most likely to view it favorably when the conservative party holds the presidential seat and vice versa.

鈥淭hey probably feel powerless and maybe fearful about what the federal government will do,鈥� he says.

A Reuters poll from 2014 aligned with his view: Secession聽 Republicans than Democrats that year, from those in lower rather than higher-income brackets, and particularly in the Southwest followed by the Rockies.

The risks of an actual secession occurring may be small given the hurdles that would have to be overcome. This includes amending the US Constitution and gaining support from two-thirds of the legislature, a feat that may not be popular 鈥� after all, who would want to let California, the nation鈥檚 biggest economy, leave United States?

But the surprising unification by those who feel pushed to the margins is in large part what drove the unexpected results of this election cycle.

鈥淭he United States hardly seems to be on the verge of fracture, and the small secession movements in a handful of American states today represent a tiny percentage of those polled by Reuters,鈥� Jim Gaines, Reuters global editor-at-large wrote back in 2014 when the poll was released. 鈥淏ut any country where 60 million people declare themselves to be sincerely aggrieved 鈥� especially one that is fractious by nature 鈥� is a country inviting either the sophistry of a demagogue or a serious movement for reform.鈥�

New Hampshire and Vermont are two states with secessionist movements that with the latter calling the central government 鈥渢oo unresponsive to the needs of individual citizens and small communities,鈥� as reported by Politico. Texas is also notorious for threatening a split from the country.

The solid-blue California has seen attempts to secede or split into different states dating back to . The state takes itself seriously as a leader in issues especially pertaining to climate change, with Gov. Jerry Brown most recently globetrotting to spearhead The secessionists see some other states鈥� refusal to acknowledge climate change as holding up their efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

In 2013, the White House Director of the Office of Public Engagement Jon Carson had to issue a response to Texas鈥� petition for secession.

鈥淚n a nation of 300 million people 鈥� each with their own set of deeply-held beliefs 鈥� democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that's a good thing,鈥� Mr. Carson wrote. 鈥淭hey enshrined in that document the right to change our national government through the power of the ballot 鈥� a right that generations of Americans have fought to secure for all. But they from it...."

Rigorous discussion between opposing viewpoints, Carson adds, is vital for democracy but 鈥渁s much as we value a healthy debate, we don't let that debate tear us apart.鈥�