KQED's Forum Is It Time for California to Consider a "Soft Secession"?
Oct 7, 2025
Clara Jeffery, Editor-in-Chief of Mother Jones, and Jon Michaels, UCLA Law professor, explore the concept of "soft secession" in California. They discuss how the state can leverage its economic power and push back against federal policies. The conversation covers innovative state-level alliances for issues like vaccinations, the irony of advocating states' rights from a progressive standpoint, and the legal complexities behind reconfiguring state-federal relations. They also highlight the urgency of building infrastructure for resilience amid increasing federal constraints.
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What Soft Secession Means
- "Soft secession" means non-cooperative federalism where aligned states act together to protect values and programs.
- Clara Jeffery frames it as defensive and offensive state-level coordination without violence.
Decentralization Framing
- Jon Michaels describes this as decentralization and a reconfiguration of federal-state power.
- He notes U.S. history offers examples to mine for constructive and problematic precedents.
Governors Threaten To Break Ranks
- Clara Jeffery cites governors threatening to leave the Governors Association over federal troop deployments.
- She uses Newsom and Pritzker as examples of state-level pushback.