Would Six Californias Be Better Than One?

From Reason:

When most people think of secession, they think of the type of disturbing events unfolding in the Ukraine. But efforts to break up political boundaries could be coming to California, albeit in a laid-back and peaceful manner, as Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper circulates an initiative to chop up the state into pieces.

Efforts to rearrange political lines seem almost as old as the hills and rivers that form natural boundaries. Nations and states have different cultures, economies and politics, of course. Supporters argue that California – where voters in the dominant Bay Area and Los Angeles have far different priorities than Californians in other areas – ought to be broken into six states so everyone can pursue their dreams. (It’s not as if San Diegans couldn’t still spend the weekend in Napa.)

No U.S. state has been divided since the Civil War. But this idea sounds less antiquated after considering that just one of California’s 58 counties (San Bernardino) is larger than nine U.S. states and four of them combined. Supporters have gotten the go-ahead from the secretary of state to begin collecting signatures, so this idea could spark a thought experiment… Read more.