Is the South seceding? And does the federal executive/legislative branches support it?

[LAKISYLVANIA]

It also leaves open the possibility of a "soft exit", under which the South could retain voting rights but be exempt from many federal laws.

If you're not affected by federal laws, you should not have federal voting rights. Britain doesn't have voting rights within the EU too after their "exit", regardless of it being "soft" or "hard". That's not how a soft exit works, especially if people from other regions didn't have a say on it.

I'm not exactly opposed to regions being able to be independent, but that wouldn't be good for the game given we have 150 registered people, and a lot of them don't actively participate. The numbers aren't simply there to have a right-wing dominated Atlasia game and a left wing dominated Atlasia game. It would also remove competition from the game, resulting in an Atlasia where the dominant left wing party always win an election, and an Atlasia where the dominant right wing party always win an election.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

While this is uncharted territory and I cannot predict anything with complete certainty, I think I can confidently say Yankee and Cao both have huge incentives to make it be known at least privately that independence is off the table, and that greater autonomy is clearly something that the South's regional leadership can at least credibly claim a mandate of some kind for. But that does not mean that it will inevitably happen. Terra incognita, everyone!

I've been hearing whispers to the contrary with regard to our current President. Granted, it is hearsay and I cannot speak for him personally, so I welcome public forum clarification on the matter.

Yankee and I have been dueling for more than a decade, but we do have a core of commonalities and I feel confident in saying that the Past, Present and/or Future King of the Federalist Party would never endorse outright succession under any circumstances.

I was assuming that since the Federalist Party is basically at least ordinarily unelectable without its Southern voters, there's no way the President would allow the South to leave. But I don't know Cao as well as I know Yankee, so...

It was pretty telling to see people like Yankee and WM voting nay on the 8th amendment. I feel like people are right when they say it hasn't been debated and that people tried to pass it without making much noise and without clarifying what it means or what they want to do.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

One would think...but even allowing "autonomy" sets what kind of precedent? What if another region doesn't want to pay taxes? What if another region wants to make beheading mandatory for jaywalking? There is no logical explanation for why you can give certain leeway to one region and not allow them for all.

Greater autonomy in wanting to have "the privileges" of being in Atlasia but not wanting to share the burden or costs. It's why regions in a lot of different nations fight over each other, like Italy, Spain & notably (i should know) Belgium.

I have told before that i'm open to greater autonomy on social issues or clarifying what the task or authority of a region should be and what a federal authority should be. I'm open to bringing more social issues to the regions, even controversial ones. But it's something all people should say in, and that federally should be agreed on, not just something a one-sided self-declaration from said region.