Several weeks ago, Siskiyou County made national headlines for its decision to secede from the state of California.
Several counties in Northern Colorado have also threatened to secede, citing a frustration with the political divide between Denver and their rural interests.
These recent developments have reinvigorated the national conversation on effective and fair representation.
In an article published in The Atlantic Cities, commentator Emily Badger discusses the history of the secessionist movement across the U.S. and emphasizes the need for urban states to maintain the connection to their rural communities.
According to Badger, the logistics of secession have been prohibitive for those who have launched similar efforts in the past. Counties must first approve a referendum and then seek concurrence from the state legislature and U.S. Congress. It amounts to one colossal undertaking, to say the least.
Even if efforts did prove successful for Siskiyou or Northern Colorado, the engineering of a smooth transition would prove to be, as Badger describes it, “insane.” Those who view secession as a means to circumvent government mandates may find the opposite to be the case. Badger predicts they will be met with a suffocating number of government hoops and procedures.
It is particularly relevant to PublicCEO’s audience as Badger underscores the urban-rural divide that plagues large states with political conflict. She states that in many of the aforementioned cases, “Red counties, in essence, are angling to separate from otherwise blue states.”
It’s an engaging read and one that is incredibly relevant given today’s political climate and recent events.
Read the full article here.