As we enter 2017 and America recovers from the recent 2016 Presidential Election a certain word is on the lips of many Americans: Secession.
With California, Texas and Florida having legitimate political thoughts on leaving the United States of America a question is popping up on everyone's mind. Could these States function as Sovereign Nations? Could my State? How would they do so?
In this 50 part series we explore each State in terms of it that State could survive as a Nation by looking at how that State currently fairs and could hypothetically fair in the terms of three categories:'
Economics-This looks at how much money that State is making compared to how much it spends, what it exports and imports and how it would impact the world on an Economic scale.
Political-The Political standpoint of the State is taken into account to try to grasp an understanding on how that State would be governed as an independent Nation. The method of Government can have massive impact on the Economy and foreign affairs so it is essential to consider.
Sociocultural-What would the society and culture of this Nation look like based off of the State it is formed from? The Social and Cultural ideologies of a Nation ultimately can decide not only the role it will play to the World, but also how long it will last.
I am especially excited for this 5th installation of the series for we now are able to take on one of the main inspirations for this series. California.
California as a State
California is one of the largest of the contiguous 48 States and by far one of it not the most powerful of them all. With a massive population of nearly 40 million people, an economy stronger than most Nations and an unrivaled diversity California already has many of the standards of a Country. California has begun to have disagreements with the Federal Government that have actually inspired the idea of secession among its residents to the point that in 2019 there is a planned poll to see if the State's residents would follow through with breaking off from the United States. California controls the majority of America's Pacific Coast, is home to the legendary Silicon valley and is the Nation's highest supplier of most agricultural goods. So could California truly survive on its own?
Economy
California is an economic juggernaut. It has the largest economic resources of all other States and those resources would certainly not disappear with independence. Oil drilling has always been an important part of California's development but it has been becoming increasingly more and more focused on renewable resources such as solar energy through solar panel fields or wind energy from wind turbine stations. A solitary California would continue to invest heavily in renewable energy, probably more so than as a State, and continue to advance energy self-sufficiency. California has some of the richest farmland in the world with vast amounts of it being dedicated to the farming of fruits, nuts and vegetables. With the Pacific Ocean at its back door, California also has an extensive seafood industry. California is also the home to the famed Silicon valley, an area where many of the world's most prominent technological industries are headquartered. Tourism is alive and well for California with it containing many natural wonders such as the Redwood Forest and attractions like Disneyland. California has very strong economic ties to Japan, China and Mexico that would give it a dependable market to fallback on in the event of succession, though this is unlikely. An independent California would instantly become a chief trade partner of the remaining United States as it supplies so many resources to the Country. Oddly enough, the greatest economic weakness to California is its lack of a specific resource that is usually very bountiful--water. California is notorious for having long periods of drought and due to this must import its water through aqueduct systems from other States. An independent California would have to either find new ways to feed its thirst or maintain a strong relationship with the neighboring United States to ensure it would not face turmoil from water deprivation.
Political
The main reason that California wishes to secede from the United States is due to political division from the rest of the country. Most Californians and especially its major cities are liberal minded socially and politically. The rural areas of California do lean conservative but they would be heavily overshadowed by the urban masses. California would begin to focus its government less like the United States and more like countries that lean towards democratic socialism such as Britain or Canada. Contrary to how many think, California would likely not try to become extremely Socialistic like the Scandinavian Nations or France. Its population is just too large and varied for a Socialistic Government to efficiently control without becoming authoritarian, which is very unlikely since Authoritarianism and Fascism are the literal opposite of what most liberals want. The conservative rural parts of the country would also still be powerful enough to have a minor say in politics and considering that most of the more conservative areas happen to be the agricultural production areas, the conservative minority would not allow California to lean too Socialistic. This California Republic would likely have very close relations to most other first world countries, particularly Japan, Australia, the United States and Western Europe. It would quickly cement itself as a new world leader and likely have heavy influence on United States citizens' political views.
Sociocultural
Life in the Nation of California would not be that different than the United States. The largest impact that independence would have on California residents would be the shifts in governance and government programs. California would likely federalize education and healthcare so that they would be free to the public, similar to Canada. Public transportation would be given a larger emphasis with National electric tram systems connecting major cities. Most Californians would perform white collar jobs and live very comfortable lives knowing that their government is there to help in the event of sickness and their children are guaranteed specialized education, even if that does mean more competition for jobs. An Open Border policy would mean that there would be heavy immigration to California from Mexico that would supply the Nation with a large labor force and cause further cultural diversity as Mexican and American customs mixed to create California's own unique way of life.
Could California Be A Country?
California would almost definitely survive and thrive as a Country. It is far too self-sufficient to suffer internal failure. It has a massive economy, a defined political orientation and a cultural identity that would only grow if left on its own. With the possibility of an independent California becoming more and more real the question we may need to start asking is not if it could happen, but what if it does. How will California leaving the United States affect America? How will it affect the World? Can the United States and an independent California coincide peacefully or will we see a replay of what happened last time State's decided to secede?
