What Would It Look Like If The West Coast Made Its Own Country? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

What Would It Look Like If The West Coast Made Its Own Country?

Trump's victory increases support for the #Calexit and other secession movements.

726
What Would It Look Like If The West Coast Made Its Own Country?
The Oregonian

First, there was the Brexit, then there was Mr. Brexit (Donald Trump), and now there is talk about an ORexit and Calexit. Basically, some people in Oregon and California believe that the nation's interests do not match their own.

Instead of claiming they will move to Canada after Trump's win, some Oregonians and Californians want to branch off and make their home what they want it to be. Even though the secession seems somewhat good in theory, there are serious consequences to leaving the union. By the time these states would be able to successfully secede, the next election would be happening. Obviously, this isn't a quick way to deal with a Trump presidency.

After seemingly every presidential election, people have considered taking their state out of the union. For instance, residents in all 50 states filed petitions to secede from the United States through the We the People online petition tool after the presidential election in 2012. It's a strong reaction to the uncertainty of how the future will unfold in the time of a new president.

Even though these plans are controversial and seemingly unrealistic, here is a list of succession variations that people have come up with.

1. Only California

The Yes California Independence Campaign calls for Californians to vote in 2018 to have a special election to vote on the state's independence from the United States. In the spring of 2019, the state would decide by referendum if California should exit the union. The campaign organizers claim that the state has the 6th largest economy in the world and that they are hurting themselves while subsidizing other states.

2. Only Oregon

Two Oregonians proposed a ballot measure on Nov. 10 asking for the state to secede from the United States. Once the peaceful protests turned violent in Portland, the group withdrew their measure. They didn't like the public's response to the measure and thought the idea of seceding was no longer appropriate for the current political landscape.

3. Cascadia

The CascadiaNow! group claims that Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Southern Alaska, Western Montana, Idaho, and Northern California make up a bio-region that is environmentally, economically, and culturally distinct from other regions of North America. While the group has been active since 2006, people have gained interest in the idea of separating Cascadia from the rest of the United States after Trump won the 2016 presidential election.

4. West Coast

After the election, some news sources have talked about the idea of the entire West Coast forming its own nation. Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii could be included if they wanted to be. No actual proposals have been made to pursue this idea, even though it is interesting to talk about.

5. Idaho Takes Eastern Washington and Oregon

In 2015, Ken Parsons, a farmer from La Grande, Ore., proposed the idea of giving eastern Oregon and Washington to Idaho. The majority of these areas is rural, so they would have common needs and political ideas.

From looking at the map results of the 2016 election, eastern Oregon and Washington were covered in red. In addition, the majority of voters in rural parts of northern and central California voted for Trump. From this information, it is obvious that rural areas of the west coast would be against leaving the United States because of the new president.

While it is exciting to think about what life would be like in a new country, it would be unlikely that anything would happen anytime soon. Anyways, the United States needs people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds for it to prosper.





Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14372
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2851
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1716
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments