Progressives: Should we let some states secede?

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Suppose a constitutional amendment were proposed that would allow a state state to secede from the union if it was supported in a referendum by 60% of the state’s population.

Should progressives support this? 

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Honestly I’m trying to think of what the downside to this could be.  Perhaps it should require affirmative votes in two consecutive referenda spaced a couple years apart.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Honestly I’m trying to think of what the downside to this could be.  Perhaps it should require affirmative votes in two consecutive referenda spaced a couple years apart.

The inevitable denial of basic rights to marginalized groups in those states by bigoted governments that would no longer face any federal oversight?

The states that might secede all have tiny populations compared to the tens of millions of people whose rights would be enhanced in a slightly smaller and reformed union.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Suppose a constitutional amendment were proposed that would allow a state state to secede from the union if it was supported in a referendum by 60% of the state’s population.

Should progressives support this?  

Well, yes.

Splitting up the US is a BAD idea, but I don't see how you should go against the wishes of 60%+ of the population of a state.

However, there should be a transitional phase where people could move in and out of the US and that state before it took effect. We wouldn't want US citizens suddenly trapped in some hellhole Qanon regressive state with no way out.

That's an incredibly low vote share and I have absolutely no problem overriding it.

Seems a bit arbitrary, what would your preferred threshold be then and why?

Considering referendums have no democratic legitimacy in the United States, I really don't care what their outcome is at all. That said, if a *monolithic* group of people did want to leave the United States (say, 85%+), I might consider it.

I haven't heard this claim before, do you mind elaborating?

We don't have a legal procedure by which states can unilaterally secede, which means any ballot measure or whatever by which 50% of a state's voters might vote to leave the United States isn't legitimate and can rightfully be ignored.

Certainly this is true under the constitution as currently written.  But I'm proposing the constitution be amended to give such referenda binding legal effect.  I definitely think the threshold under such an amendment should be greater than 50%, and probably involve a multi-step process over a period of years.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Do progressive really believe there is no situation in which secession is morally supportable?  If not, how do you square this with support for separatist movements or self-determination claims in other nations?

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

No. Remember that a majority of the humans living in Wyoming did not vote for Donald Trump. Trump got 190K votes in a state of 580K people.

If a majority of the population in Wyoming did not support Trump, presumably a supermajority of the population would not support secession.