Subtitles section Play video
-
California has long been a Democratic stronghold, and with the election of Donald Trump, many
-
activists have called for the state’s secession, or a so-called “Calexit”.
-
So, could California actually form its own country?
-
Well, in California, calls to leave the union are nothing new.
-
There have been more than 200 secession proposals since the state’s formation in 1850.
-
Many have called for the state to break into different sections before leaving the union,
-
for instance creating two separate Northern and Southern Californias or an autonomous
-
“Coastal California”.
-
In 2013, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist spearheaded a proposal to split California
-
into six new states.
-
However the measure died before making it to the 2016 ballot, as only two-thirds of
-
its signatures turned out to be valid.
-
Today, the most significant secession movement is ‘Yes California’.
-
It argues that the state has become so economically strong and ideologically distinct from the
-
rest of the US, that it ought to be its own country.
-
And in fact, according to 2015 IMF figures, an independent California would be the sixth-largest
-
economy, just ahead of France.
-
According to the campaign’s unofficial manifesto, California suffers from the federal government’s
-
trade policies, and pays more in federal tax than it receives in funding, all while the
-
state itself is in debt.
-
The solution, they say, is a “peaceful secession from the United States” by way of a 2019
-
referendum, which will then lead to a “constitutional exit from the Union”.
-
But how probable is California's exit plan?
-
Well, there is no part of the U.S. Constitution that deals explicitly with state secession.
-
This ambiguity has led to a number of unsuccessful attempts, one of which made it all the way
-
to the Supreme Court.
-
In the 1869 case Texas v. White, the court ruled that all states are perpetually contracted
-
to the US, and cannot secede “except through revolution or through consent of the States.”
-
So in theory, an independent California is possible, however the path to secession is
-
narrow.
-
So narrow that it would literally take a constitutional amendment to accomplish.
-
This is what activists are aiming for but, its passage would require a two-thirds vote
-
from both the House and Senate, along with the approval of at least 38 states- a feat
-
experts say is unlikely.
-
What’s more, Yes California is still considered to be on the fringe, with only about 3,000
-
official supporters.
-
But the movement has gained momentum after Donald Trump’s victory, with its twitter
-
followers increasing from 650 in June 2016 to more than 15,000 in November.
-
After the election, Yes California’s president stated that Californians were offended with
-
Trump’s statements about minorities, and that the outcome was just further proof that
-
the state is more progressive than the US as a whole.
-
To be certain, California voters did err on the progressive side in the 2016 election,
-
opting for tax increases, stricter gun laws and marijuana legalization.
-
But the state is far from ideologically unified, with more than 3 million votes for Donald
-
Trump in the 2016 election.
-
This, combined with the legal legwork between statehood and autonomy, means California is
-
far, far away from an actual Calexit or some call it a Califrexit.
-
We can’t do episodes like this without our sponsors!
-
If you’re looking for nutritionist-approved snacks that never uses GMO ingredients, trans
-
fats, artificial colors or flavors, check out Graze.com.
-
Graze combines wholesome ingredients with the flavors we all love to create over 100
-
exciting snacks.
-
Go to graze.com and enter promo code SEEKER to get a free sampler box!
-
If you’re a fan of innovative storytelling, you should check out Seeker VR.
-
Our newest YouTube channel has all our 360 videos in one place.
-
With California passing recreational marijuana, we visited the Golden State’s weed farms
-
to find out what this means.
-
Check it out here.
-
I think a lot of it really does have to do with this area and that cannabis has thrived
-
here because of the culture and the community, but I think there's also a uniqueness to the
-
climate and this region and typography here that really brings out an amazing expression
-
of the plant.
-
Please make sure to subscribe to Seeker VR.
-
We promise you’ll love what’s coming.
