Why America Needs To Redraw State Borders

The state borders of the United States seem on the surface to be fairly reasonable boundaries, but then we remember the majority of American states are literal squares. Look deeper at states like New York, Ohio, Florida, and you'll see states divided by geography, culture, politics, history, economics, territories which should NOT be part of the same state governed by the same state courts, state constitution, state governor, etc. America must redraw state borders if its states are to mean anything, why else would we have fifty states in the United States if not to provide some form for local representative government? Representative government depends upon boundaries that reflect a population, but in the United States of America, those boundaries, those borders are wholly arbitrary with no rhyme or reason. The states need new borders.
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[@MonsieurDean]

Patreon: www.patreon.com/monsieurz/membership

[@JTL1776]

Please do videos on. New York. California. Oregon. Florida. Maine. Do 3 versions.. Best for republicans Best fot democrats. Compromise both sides get equally beneficial borders.

[@death-istic9586]

Hi.

[@diegoyanesholtz212]

I do think the western states should be redrawn based on how to better manage and optimize water recourses. Nebraska, the Dakotas and Kansas are pretty much the same state. Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, western Oregon and Washington are the same. I agree. Maybe to better manage NYC we should add parts of New Jersey to it and separate the the upper state New York

[@Conservatismfailedus]

It really won't matter in 20-40 years when every state goes blue just from the sheer incompetence of the right wing.

[@StrickerRei-Chn]

So should the US change its electoral system so that a multi-party congress can be a reality?

[@isaacwojo3273]

I’m from Illinois and there’s absolutely no reason chicagoans and the rest of us who live downstate should share the same government.

[@wolflink3353]

As a chicagoan, I somewhat agree with that.

[@survivalsuiters5982]

Especially because Chicago's government is horrible

[@lanxy2398]

I sometimes feel like secessionists in states with a major city get a hard on for becoming poorer. Like sure, by all means secede and create your new state and throw your entire tax revenue out the window and all the other development and monetary gain you hold by having chicago in your state.

[@mchoppityhooper]

@@lanxy2398as someone who lives in a major city, there are plenty of poor people in the streets who don’t get assistance.

[@justinneilson1263]

@lanxy239842 As if they aren't already becoming poorer while the city eats up all the tax dollars for themselves whilst simultaneously voting in people that screw over the people who don't live in big cities by creating legislature that only benefits city dwellers

[@satanicturtle9929]

As someone who lives in upstate NY, NYC completely controls the whole state which is very annoying being that their interests are not the same as the rest of the state

[@FrankSinatraTheSecond]

Yeah, NYC dominates so much to the point where the rest of the state doesn't have a voice, and it has been like that since the founding of NYC

[@CurlousCam]

It's the same in Washington St. We left though.. couldn't afford the small farming life.

[@legoworksstudios1]

Fellow NYer here from the city, and I've held the same beliefs about the state for a while now. Would be nice to see or hear about the rest of the state, especially since much of Upstate NY needs that voice.

[@FrankSinatraTheSecond]

@@legoworksstudios1 yeah

[@adamrogowski2748]

I live in the southern tier here. The economy of NYC is very different from my rural county and those SOBs want to cover us with solar panels and wind turbines everywhere so the city can be "zero emissions" electric production in a few decades. If you're building energy infrastructure in our county it better stay in our county but that's not what's happening.

[@doctormatthattan]

Part of the reason why Puerto Rico is not a state is because Republicans are concerned about Democrats getting 2 new senate seats and 4 seats in the house. If you offered to divide an existing state like Illinois, with a Republic led Illinois and a Democratic lead Chicagoland, Republicans should be more willing to allow Puerto Rican statehood because there would be a balance of power.

[@hs5312]

That is pretty much the only way Puerto Rico gets statehood is for democrats to offer a compromise. Although personally I would prefer Puerto Rico to be independent

[@kingced741]

We came full circle when it comes to radicalization

[@schalitz1]

Also Puerto Rico has an insane amount of debt that the federal government doesn't want to pay

[@kingced741]

@@schalitz1 funny enough it's owed mostly to the federal government or private citizens of our government

[@fabulousauruspeks7010]

I see two issues with this line of thought, though. The first is that assuming that Puerto Ricans would vote in 6 Democrats for the House and Senate may not be correct. Their largest party (the New Progressive Party, which got ~40% of the vote in 2020) is contains a split of Republicans and Democrats despite its name. Its main goal is Puerto Rican statehood, which obviously would no longer be an issue if they became a state. I would hope that they keep their current parties and form coalitions in the national government when necessary if they do become a state, but thats a different issue. The second issue is the "balance of power" idea. Why should we deny representation to US citizens based on a temporary national landscape? If the admission of Puerto Rico as a state does happen to result in full Democratic control of government (which would absolutely be temporary), are Republicans not capable of making changes to their focus and policies to gain control back? I don't think splitting states for better representation is a bad idea (though it needs to go further than just "break [rural area] away from [city]") but I see no reason why it should hold up granting representation to US citizens.

[@Uvuv6969]

I’m from Florida, and I’m extremely surprised that there isn’t a major movement to split the state in 3. South Florida is north Cuba, central Florida is just Kentucky, and Orlando to further north is just South Georgia. It’s a huge culture difference that most people just ignore down here

[@naptime0143]

Central Florida is no Kentucky that's basically Georgia and North Florida is Alabama

[@Distress.]

Because the cultural differences are miniscule, its politics that divides our country, and while democrats may like the idea of a South Florida secession, Republican's in South Florida do not. Besides dividing the state over that is so fickle. See Miami and several other "blue" counties going red in 2022.

[@hello-rq8kf]

because we more in common with eachother than with any georgian? fucking idiot, go back to new york or whatever shithole you transplanted from

[@AD-en5dq]

1 republican state split into 3 states 2D and R1 not smart

[@giancarlo1822]

Im from miami, and idk if central florida is kentucky but it definitely is its own breed of south. I think its close enough to north florida to split the state in 2 tho

[@TheStickCollector]

The problem is the uniparty that wants to make control out of all of these people

[@MonsieurDean]

There's a lot of good that the uniparty won't let happen.

[@tonywars]

@@MonsieurDeanLet me guess. Politics..

[@jst4572]

Uniparty?

[@benjamingrist6539]

That and the constitution forbids state borders from being changed without a literal act of Congress. We really should pass an amendment to change that, but then the balance of power in the senate would be thrown off, so, we’d have to amend how we distribute senate seats. I think both amendments are needed, but it’ll be difficult to get either passed.

[@TheStickCollector]

@@jst4572 With how some republicans act they may as well be democrats, and regardless of their position they want more money and influence over people, regardless of how they treat the populace. Might as well be one party system under two branches.

[@starman825]

Well if we’re redoing boarders as a representative of Alabama we would graciously accept the Florida panhandle

[@deutschegeschichte4972]

As a Floridian, please take it lol.

[@russellpair2327]

I’m pretty sure at some point in the late 1800’s the panhandle actually voted to join alabama and bama said no since it was all swamp with no infrastructure, I could be wrong on some details tho.

[@krone5]

Alabama got some florida and they made Moblie out of it.

[@asurrealistworld4412]

No. When did Alabama ever have our panhandle? How about we take the southern tips of Alabama, Mississippi, and those eastern Louisiana parishes they name after us and bring them back to Florida instead.

[@krone5]

@@asurrealistworld4412 get some history maps there are parts of florida in LA, MS, AL and FL in the current USA, as florida was spanish.

[@granda3649]

As a Floridian, I agree. North Florida is South Georgia, South Florida is North Cuba, and Central Florida is a weird transition zone known as Theme Park Land.

[@Roger-fs5yo]

But ALL of Florida is still a southern state. There's really no point in changing our borders cause we are all the same people👌

[@GelloWello]

@@Roger-fs5yoI don’t know if you ever traveled throughout Florida, but it really feels like a New English/Carribbean fusion and a deeply Southern states put into one. Tho I would say, this divide is rather recent and when the state was founded, it was mostly the Seminole/Southerner divide.

[@Roger-fs5yo]

@@GelloWello I drive a big truck all over the country and been down there countless times. I have noticed that in the northern half you do see more of Dixie. I just see our population as one people🤷‍♂️

[@justjaeree]

as a Jacksonvillian I would like to propose my city to be a city-state

[@mothermovementa]

North cuba😂

[@somehowstillhere8766]

State borders being organized to suit the needs of the people within a set boundary is a better way to ensure those needs are represented. The two big obstacles that stand in the way of it is the government prefers diversity within each state because divided populations are easier to manipulate. The second issue is the decades long pattern of the economy pushing people to move constantly to seek work rather than living in the same area for multiple generations. Local identities are more stable when people can live there decade after decade rather than living like hermit crabs.

[@dinosaurusrex1482]

The third problem is that American states are not districts, they're miniature countries. Imagine if the EU tried to get it's member states to redraw their borders.

[@Khajiidaro]

@@dinosaurusrex1482 It also makes it harder for everyone to cooperate, since if there is no cooperation on the state level, then what is happening on the federal level? The only reason a Republic works in through compromise and right now the real issue is no one want to give up something to get anything if they can't get EVERYTHING they want.

[@persona189blank6]

On the flip side, states being more homogenous increases conflict between states. Look at the current conflict between red and blue states and imagine how much more intense it would be if those states were 90% red and 90% blue as opposed to 60-40.

[@SmallRoundDuck]

Literally this. Breaking the states up based on geographic and cultural boundaries with how much inter-migration there is in the US makes no sense. Look at the large number of people who went east to west, south to north, and north to southwest. Not to mention the amount of people who immigrate here

[@MoaRider]

@@persona189blank6 Why would that be a bad thing? The Red states can enjoy policies that they prefer and the Blue states can do the same. Everyone's happy. That would be a complete non-issue if States had more power to do their own thing without the federal government spewing its nonsense all over the place.

[@Frazier16]

We need more city states. There are too many states with one city that take control of the whole state. Nyc, Chicago, and atlanta should be states.

[@johnnyinsac]

As someone who grew up in California's central valley, LA and San Francisco have controlled state policy for longer than I've been alive. An I would love for them to cut out and given their own political zones apart from CA.

[@anthonytitone]

Many states couldn’t pay their fire departments without urban city funding. Remember, these states were colonies, when founded they started from the big cities & then that big city expanded their settlements.

[@gregorysouthworth783]

Actually, the rise of the urban megaregions may create, in de facto form, the very thing you describe. Maybe not city-states precisely, but no one in the 18th, 19th, or early 20th century could have imagined such an occurrence. They will rival and possibly even exceed the power of state governments.

[@Someone_Unknown90]

I grew up in Atlanta, making us a country would literally make everyone around us in GA, poor af, our GEORGIAN university being in another state, and so on

[@Someone_Unknown90]

@@gregorysouthworth783this just sounds like people are mad that some people who never got political recognition and didn’t care for voting, started indeed voting and exercising their constitutional rights and now y’all wanna quit😂😂

[@marcusdg93]

As a Texan, part of me wonders if my state is one of maybe a few where this might not matter as much. Texans have always had a strong sense of cultural, state identity. It usually annoys those of y'all in other states. This sense of cultural identity arguably has decreased over the last ten or fifteen years or so, but it has been what holds us together as a state. Most of the state will look at Austin and say that it is the "least Texan" part of the state (others might say Dallas or Houston), but Austinites are still Texans. The idea of dividing our state into several smaller states (something we could do legally) is antithetical to what it means to be Texan. We'd much rather secede as one state than divide ourselves up into multiple.

[@MonsieurDean]

You’ve got at least two maybe three states there.

[@rynemcgriffin1752]

@@MonsieurDeanDidn’t he just say their cultural identity is Texan and splitting the state would antithetical to what they want? Does that not completely go against everything you just said?

[@coolguy8221]

actually tho as a fellow texan it hurts my soul so much to see texas split into like 5 new states in alt history scenarios

[@kate2create738]

I think it really depends on the state, Texas I can see there is a strong support and loyalty for fellow Texans. This was a region that experienced historical moments together at least most of the time, so there is a cultural union. Where I’m from in California it is NOT like that. There’s at least been many proposals to split the state, the most recent one up to 6 or 7, I believe. Each area has very different historical and cultural influences, but Sacramento has been dominated by LA, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco, mainly cities that are exclusively coastal cities with very different lifestyles compared to the rest of the region. The last 10 years it has felt like we’re under some tyrannical system, people think of Hollywood, the golden beaches, or the Golden Gate when the name California is brought up, traditionally speaking. However the rest of the state suffered so the rich could find ways to squander other areas to actually develop. People are now waking up to the out of control real estate market, unlivable conditions, sky high homeless epidemic, the drugs escalating, the traumatic forest fires, and so on. The root of the problem is those in charge of the state have a loyalty to the crazies who live in ivory towers disconnected to the rest of the world, it’s very common to hear these people travel all over the world but don’t make the EFFORT to visit in land once in a while. At this point though, it’s too late and those inland want NOTHING to do with those who hijacked and ruined the state. So if Texans are satisfied staying in one state, very glad you guys have it worked out for you. The rest of us in other regions are feeling very resentful though.

[@marcusdg93]

@@coolguy8221 Same. It's an interesting thought experiment, but I don't see it ever happening. The Texas-shaped waffles look too good shaped like they are. Why would we be so stupid as to mess that up? 😆

[@inoch07]

There is already a recognition within Florida of a "North Florida" and a ""South Florida" as we have different climates, demographics, views, development, levels of tourism. When I say to other Floridians that North Florida is basically South Georgia, they will chuckle and agree. The VA further emphasizes this issue by not having its VISN delineation by state, but by trans-state and inter-state boundaries (N. FL - S. GA, Tampa, Orlando, Bay Pines, West Palm, Caribbean, and Miami). I would feel much more at home in my state if the VISN system was used instead of the arbitrary 50 states system.

[@jobengals86]

Makes me think of our East Texas / West Texas "identities" (I can't say it's a divide though, not yet anyway; both sides seem to disown Austin 😂)

[@toiletvirusandcoronapaper271]

​@@jobengals86north Louisiana and south Louisiana have the same issue

[@redaquila2891]

Western NC and Eastern Tennessee have more in common than the opposite sides of each state do to one another.

[@asurrealistworld4412]

@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 Spanish Florida's capital San Agustín/St. Augustine is in North Florida.

[@TAP7a]

Search "What if the United States of America were based on watersheds?" for a scientific paper presenting the most geographically optimised way of organising US states. Inter-state conflict is minimised, incentives for intra-state cooperation maximised, unhelpful dependencies severed, Native Americans completely ignored and sidelined - it's a perfect fit for US policy

[@garrettfornea1088]

I like the idea of natural boundaries. However, I favor the idea using rivers as boundaries (i.e. Mississippi River, Arkansas River, Missouri River, et cetera). Mountain range crests (i.e. the Great Divide) are legit though.

[@dylanbuchanan6511]

I read about half of it. Not because I didn’t like it, but because a lot of it went over my head. Apparently a lot of it has to do with making an easier time for those involved in water management having better implementation of judicial laws regarding matters pertaining to water. It’s honestly the first research paper I ever looked into so jumping into it was sort of getting ahead of myself

[@Warsie]

There would still be ethnic issues, the black and white populations in the Mississippi watershed wont magically agree with things.

[@nevassa4627]

So, Texas can unilaterally break itself up into 5 states per its constitution and annexation agreement into the union. California has rejected several proposed solutions to the North vs South problem. Those being a 2-state solution, 3-state solution, 6-state solution, the formation of the State of Jefferson, Northern California breaking off and joining The Greater Idaho Initiative, and San Bernardino County exploring outright secession. Eastern Oregon is trying to breakoff and join Idaho, Eastern Washington is trying to breakoff and become the State of Lincoln, etc. The people are trying to fix the problem Monsieur is observing themselves. However, the powers that be don't want that for a multitude of reasons.

[@francogiobbimontesanti3826]

I disagree, states shouldn’t represent political beliefs, states are the size of average countries, they need to have a diverse and self sufficient economy, their shouldn’t be city states and rural states. New York needs its farm lands just as much as it needs its financial district, also rural areas tend to need hard subsidies coming from the cities to operate, and thats a price most people in cities are willing to accept since you know, they gotta eat.

[@mr.morale_digitized]

My only issue with this is that having states go this route will put us on a path similar to Austro-Hungary; the more divided territories we have based on different cultures & passions will stray us away from the common embodiment and faith we have in just simply being American citizens.

[@dakotadurham4788]

*HAD past tense

[@kate2create738]

I do see your concern as it’s made me too. The area I live in doesn’t connect to our state, many here hate it actually. Yet we have some patriotism to have some pride we do live in this country, the loyalty is stronger to the nation but there are others who might not have this mindset.

[@jakubpociecha8819]

What if the United States was made of chocolate?

[@gregorysouthworth783]

AND it doesn't consider how some of these places are even now, in the midst of change. The rise of the metro megaregions (I believe there are 11 identified) will change almost everything as these places will be like unique urban islands surrounded by whatever else is around them.

[@Brambrew]

Natural geographic/regional/cultural boundaries > arbitrary, imaginary lines on a map

[@DarksoldierX2]

Even in Tennessee, the differences are very vast among it's 3 regions. Everything from geography to politics are vastly different.

[@jukeman9291]

Give every state the New England treatment: it's a single cultural area split into several distinct states. In another timeline, New England could've been one state, with similar problems as New York or Pennsylvania.

[@wilianrodrigues5280]

Europeans: “Americans have no sense for geographic boundaries… smh” Also Europeans: “Haha Africa border go straight.”

[@casualuser5527]

The fact that states aren't a monolith serve to strengthen a national identity instead of a state identity.

[@williaminnes6635]

man Dean you're latched on to the analogy of America=Austria

[@williaminnes6635]

@@Skiritai Which other ones on this platform? or, if this is something you have noticed in person, in what part of the world? and what narrative is that?

[@keithurban800]

this is a terrible idea simply for the fact that I don't want to memorize 236 states rather than 50

[@MonsieurDean]

You just have to memorize the important ones.

[@Patson20]

Literally just keep the same name but add a direction to it too. The state of Central California, the state of East Texas, the state of North New York

[@mkultraenjoyer]

ny state government would never allow nyc to leave, its their cash cow

[@TheWazzoGames]

Exactly

[@mr.patriotjol]

I wouldn’t say all states needs to redraw their borders internally. Rather, have lager states divide borders by two/three. But at the same time, when redrawing internal state borders, you also have to look at the economic structure that a smaller state can sustain without flaws. For example, my home area Long Island can’t survive as a state because 1) taxes will rise, and living there is already expensive. 2) many people go to NYC for work and if they were a separate state, it is likely that there will be a tax or fee to enter NYC.

[@rucker69]

How about just no taxes then? Besides, what's stopping NYC from having an entry fee or toll now?

[@ZalamaTheDragonGod]

No, I don't want Texas divided. How about, make elections representative by abolishing the electoral college and reform the senate

[@Demopans5990]

@itmcdoug Long Island is mostly sprawling suburbs, on the one place in the US where land isn't cheap. Even with a low property tax rate, the tax bill would still be insane thanks to the high valuations Also, you need to taxes to pay for stuff like roads. NYC does a somewhat decent job with potholes but drive far enough out on backwater roads and you will notice

[@fhengal]

It's interesting that this video offhandedly calls the United States an "empire." The weird thing is that it kind of is, even ignoring its intervention in foreign politics. This was brought to my attention when I was reminded in a podcast of the unincorporated Territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands, and Minor Outlying Islands (i.e. 16 different islands, all but one of which are in the Pacific Ocean). Formerly, it also included the Philippines, which is its own sovereign nation-state today but was under the control of the United States officially from about 1902 to 1946.

[@LiamSGue]

West Virginian here. The fact that the mining industry was so incredibly crippled by the federal government makes me think it was intentional to get rid of our distinct identity and replace our inhabitants with a bunch of technology gurus for the sake of “the economy.” Despite none of this actually benefitting West Virginians.

[@s.r.7602]

Doubtful, coal has been on the decline for decades.

[@zachsmith8916]

@@s.r.7602To some extent but it can certainly be argued that the Obama administration hastened that decline significantly.

[@verifiede4125]

@@zachsmith8916 Not necessarily, although even if it were hastened, it's for a good reason. Coal was 28% of our total greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 at the time of Obama's first electoral victory. In 2016, it was 23% of our total greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, it was roughly 19%. Most of these reductions were not due to federal regulations, since the president at the time from 2016-2020 was actively trying to roll back the federal regulations enacted by Obama, but rather state-level regulations.

[@seanbumstead1250]

Because you would have to change the borders of the states every 10-20 years

[@BTman58]

Exactly... This is why this video makes no sense.

[@stricknine6130]

I completely agree with you. Great video! I'm from Savannah GA and Atlanta has little in common with a lot of the rest of Georgia.

[@Razor-gx2dq]

I very much agree, if you take a short trip out I-20 west you'll see a significant shift.

[@DeezNuts-ju1rj]

granted Atlanta or at least Metro Atlanta holds a large degree of control over the state with most of the population living within it. Taking Atlanta from Georgia or Savanah from Georgia would remove important parts of the state, Savanah is the historic capital of the state while Atlanta is the official capital, Savanah is the spiritual heart, while Atlanta is the beating one.

[@stricknine6130]

@@DeezNuts-ju1rj I would agree. I live in Savannah and was born here.

[@DeezNuts-ju1rj]

@@stricknine6130 Us Georgians gotta stick together.

[@BigmanDogs]

UK has a system where each electoral constituency gets updated so that theyre all about even in terms of population for each election. But there is still some preference toward more rural areas, they arent all literally the same population. Some are 100k and some are 50k.

[@michaeljcdo335]

As a Canadian, this is even more true, especially considering my home province of BC, where everywhere but the Lower Mainland ie. everything between Vancouver and Abbotsford and between North Van to Tsawassen is more politically and culturally aligned to Alberta

[@dannydacheedo1592]

I agree that the states need redrawing, but America does have an identity. Z tends to be able to read data, but has trouble interpreting it. "It's hard to define an American identity, so it isn't real." We all share a common language (unlike many other large federations), we all consume similar media (that one is more important than you think), and the fact that many regions don't agree with their state governments makes those regions see themselves more as being apart of the United States rather than their own state.

[@jonathanvilario5402]

The problem with redrawing state lines isn't necessarily whether it should be done or not, its that the criterias suggested are always subjective, and this particular criteria of "red districts should be red states and blue districts should be blue states" is particularly asinine because it ignores that demographics are highly dynamic and constantly changing. Using political party affiliation to decide state borders entrenches the duolopoly which is what the majority of Americans don't want. It forces states to become solid red or blue, and reduces their relevancy in presidential elections. You know how presidential candidates hardly campaign in solid red/blue states? All campaigns would be locked down if states got butchered into demographic cages with no chance of flipping the other party. It also deincentivizes opposition parties, as they'd know there is no chance in districts clumped together with solid red/blue states. And it ignores the fact that states go through cycles in terms of political affiliations. States have a benefit of being diverse in ideas, and susceptible to changes. By clumping states based on current trends, it makes switching nearly impossible in the near term future. Which begs the question: What happens when districts start flipping the other party again? Do we divide and merge districts all over again? Political parties are not a solid indicator of how state identities should be formed. State governments are just state governments, they're not indicators of culture or practical borders. Speaking of borders, what about state transportation laws? Licensing laws? Do the districts just "adopt" the states they fall into? What if those districts move to the bordering state, and then other districts flip the other color. Do those districts get cut away to another state instead? And then are the old laws scrapped and that district switches all the paperwork for the new state? Party affiliations change, are not set in stone, and does not accommodate the temporariness of parties or the logistical realities to bureaucracy switching over to another state. Now, there are some states that might be better off being cut up and reshuffled. North/South Dakota have a culture worth merging, Greater Idaho isn't just about Trump, California/Texas dividing can improve local representation at a local level, ect. But these suggestions are non-party associated criteria for changing borders. As in, districts changing party preferences would never justify alteration. Which makes these suggestions far more pragmatic than constantly changing along party lines. Not to mention this is a clear division between rural and urban lines. Democrats are typically urban, and republicans are typically rural. And ironically enough despite republican states/districts having low taxes, they're EXTREMELY reliant on urban metropolitan taxes to pay for social services where they're needed. Further dividing rural and urban America, would destitute rural America, and could easily devolve into something you see in Mexico or Afghanistan, where cities take care of their own, but the countryside is full of lawlessness with no bureaucracy to back anyone up.

[@Tomreese130]

I'm from a suburb of Rochester and it feels like our votes absolutely do not matter with Albany and NYC dragging down the state. Always love your videos on the imbalance of power within states.

[@Roger-fs5yo]

I live in Kentucky and like every state in the South our cities do not determine how everybody lives. Why do you guy's in the North or out west have this problem but we don't🤔

[@AG-yc7vt]

@@Roger-fs5yo Because your city's metro area isn't half of your state's population.

[@Roger-fs5yo]

@@AG-yc7vt perhaps🤔

[@scottmad8563]

@@Roger-fs5yobecause NYC is the largest city in the country by more then double the next city, LA. Massive half of people who live in NY live in NYC, over half live in its direct metro area (Long Island, westchester, Yonkers just for NY). A fun little fact is that NYC metro area is one of the largest in the world at roughly 20 million. Cities in the north are much larger than those that are down south. Northern state’s economy’s were manufacturing based which requires/leads to higher density populations. In contrast the south was almost entirely agriculture based which leads to populations being spread out, lower density. It has nothing to do with left vs right politics, just the history of the northern states vs southern states. Another thing to note before the Industrial Revolution almost all trade in and out of the US was done in the north, NYC got so large and important originally due to its position on the Hudson which the vast majority of goods flowing from the Great Lakes and Midwest states went through the Great Lakes and down the Hudson, to NYC and out to the world

[@aramondehasashi3324]

I agree with you that the boarders need to be redrawn but good luck getting people to agree on what those lines should be.

[@KlausVanMass]

I advocate for regions such as the Midwest, Dixie, New England, etc. To be joined together and given further autonomy, forming something similar to the constitute countries of the UK

[@Blackmoon9u9]

No something like confederate south union

[@ZalamaTheDragonGod]

​@@Blackmoon9u9there are " confederates" in Ohio. Not gonna work

[@lukeporras1288]

In other words, regional governments like the ones proposed in the book, I’ll Take My Stand

[@Blackmoon9u9]

@@lukeporras1288 yeah, make it happen again

[@stephenventura4075]

Man discovers urban-rural divides: 10 minute edition

[@kevinbryer2425]

As an upstate New Yorker disenfranchised in state government by that which lies south of Westchester county, I take a slightly different approach. You can't just move borders to fit the demographic, because the demographics will just move again. You have to move the power to where it is most appropriately used. The Founders knew that inviting representatives and their entourages from all over the country, with all sorts of different interests, would have undo influence on the surrounding regions. That's why they put the capital in an independent district that largely self-governs with Congressional oversight. Given the seer size of the Federal government today, it's not unfair to say there is enough spillover to defeat that intent. The sheer density of the bureaucratic population in the surrounding counties makes what should be a deep red Virginia purple on the best years. Well, the same thing happens in the states dominated by metro areas. The sheer density of a population experiencing one way of life overwhelms everyone else in the state, and the tyranny of the majority ensues. The solution is the same, make them an independent district, this time with representation. Most such cities are amalgamations, collections of boroughs, and each should have a a representative, who wields a vote equal to its population. And each district should have a Senator. And if the population naturally spreads beyond city limits, it will be beneficial for both the state and the district to annex the neighboring county as a new borough. This keeps a population dependent on the city center together, and allows the state to maintain its sovereignty. If you are going to redraw state lines, limit the ratio of of states and districts to 1 to 1. If more than one district spawns from a state, that state should be split. Then you have to reenforce the founding principal of Federalism. Instead of arbitrarily redrawing Congressional districts every ten years in ways that allow the parties to pick their voters, fix them to preexisting county lines, maintaining the population representing function by weighing Congressional votes by population. Restore the original Senate by repealing the 17th Amendment. Strictly enforce Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, which requires the United States to guarantee every State in this Union to have a Republican Form of Government. This is done by duplicating the Federal structure on the state level, with the counties playing the role of states. Governors and Presidents are elected via joint sessions of the respective legislature, with each legislator having a single, equal vote tied directly to the electoral outcome in their respective states and counties, essentially the Electoral College with fewer steps. Standardize executive Cabinets across the county, state, and federal governments, limiting them in departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, Interior, Commerce, Transportation, Energy, Health, Agriculture, Education, and Science, with enumerated roles on each level that are strictly enforced. Subsidiarity is the ruling principal. Most of all, empower families via education and service opportunities to be able to effectively govern themselves. A self governing family requires very little from the county, state, or nation, and will neither demand much nor attempt to enforce itself over its neighbor. And that is the key to domestic tranquility.

[@americanhotspur]

West Virginias collapse had far more to do with the state government policy than federal. Plenty of industries have disappeared over night, West Virginias state government tried to keep theirs alive when they shouldn't have, and now the entire state is a like a blockbuster store.

[@sagittariusa7662]

States should always favor not getting involved in the market at all. The only market they should be involved in is the public goods subsector. The rest should be decided by the market and this structure should also exist within the same state, thereby businesses would have an invested interest of their own that cements their position.

[@TheHylianJuggalo]

I don't even think we need redrawn Borders. I think we're just need to state level EC

[@Iamwolf134]

Another thing to consider is that any further subdivision of the States into their own areas will necessarily require two more senators for every new state welcomed into the Union to name only one.

[@chucaruba109]

Im from upstate NY, and NYC absolutely has complete political control over the rest of the state. We dont have enough numbers im the rural areas to counter it. And they slam us relentless and dont understand us or how we live.

[@kingced741]

Jackson Mississippi wouldn't have had its water crisis and would have already used it taxes to end it.

[@morsecode980]

In Germany some of the biggest cities are their own separate states, with the same power as states like Bavaria or Saxony. Idk just food for thought

[@Razor-gx2dq]

Question is, would that work here

[@marianokrause-merkel1840]

Yeah, but there were some tries to merge them, see the case of Berlin and the surrounding Branderburg state.

[@morsecode980]

@@Razor-gx2dq And I don’t know. Critics of the idea say it would just increase partisanship if we broke up states along ideological lines

[@trollwaffenunit1garrison784]

this is an important video/topic that enough people will only recognize when it is either too late or something bad has already happened, which is unfortunate, but one can hope more recognize the relevance of something like this

[@carlose4314]

America is not Austria-Hungary. All the American cultural areas speak the same language and are mutually intelligible, no one wants secession. Austria-Hungary had many different languages. There is no national language, but states get to choose the official language for governance.

[@Patson20]

Have you ever really explored our country? Because Austrians have more in common with Germans than I do with people from Los Angeles. From language to culture and way of life.

[@stretchygeneral3433]

@@Patson20 I don’t know you but you most likely do share some things in common with some people in Los Angeles. In todays political climate in the US it is easier and even encouraged to emphasize differences, especially with loud groups of people online. But if you go out and meet average people across the US a lot of us have a lot more common than you think and can find a middle ground on a lot of issues.

[@blackearl7891]

​@@Patson20he's not talking about Austria but Austria Hungary. Different things entirely and he's right. We are at the end of the day united by a single language something that the Austrian Hungarian empire didn't have. Logistics was a nightmare due to treaties with various groups.

[@Patson20]

@blackearl7891 I'm aware of the multi ethnic empire of Austria Hungary that's why i used Austria and Germany. They are very closely related, culturally similar and share the same language but they are different enough that they are still two seperate nations.

[@andrew-iw6fy]

Why does Alaska, the biggest state, not simply eat the others?

[@MonsieurDean]

He wants to fatten them up first.

[@harrisondansie9542]

A friendly reminder that the 2022 Republican candidate for the New York governorship, Lee Zeldin, won Upstate 54-45.2. That's not far off from Greg Abbott's margin of 54.8-43.9 over Beto O'Rourke in Texas that same year. Makes ya think.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Just in time as always z! Love your content 😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@MonsieurDean]

😁😁

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

@@MonsieurDean 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@nesbit6256]

What if Princes Victoria became the ruling monarch, instead of Edward VII after Queen Victoria's passing

[@Peak_Aussieman]

Australia recently displayed the futility of propositional nationalism. What people mean when they say "Australian" is they really mean New South Welsh. And thats what the referendum results show, a display of New South Welsh nationalism. Ethnically speaking, we are New South Welsh, not "Australian".

[@JoCE2305]

Based opinion. I've been saying this for so long. Our system works better when the boundaries of states represent people with similar interests.

[@RoCK3rAD]

How nuanced should it get? Even in New York buffalo and Rochester and Albany are urban centers so what if they want to stay within New York?

[@CJ_Espinoza]

This interests being? 🤔

[@jonfreakintasic]

The founding fathers should have really put a clause that state lines are not permanent and should be redrawn to better represent the population. It doesn't make sense for the great plain states to have 2 senators with like 50 times less people than California. The answer for this stupid culture war is better representation and until that doesn't happen the bickering will continue but maybe that's what they want.

[@neuf1720]

Always remember that senators are not supposed to represent the people in their states, but are supposed to represent the governments of their states. There are two from each state so each state is equally represented. But, there should definitely be more reps in the House of Representatives. Those folks are supposed to represent the people in their districts.

[@dakotadurham4788]

Yeah but the states in the American West really don’t want to become dependent vassal states of Coastal Californian cities

[@jonfreakintasic]

@@Gunvaldtheoneandonly No I get how it works. I just think how it suppose to work and how it currently works are two very different things. Maybe we should go back to letting governors appoint senators to better capture the "states" interest.

[@macekane]

@@jonfreakintasic It's one of the reasons why the 17th Amendment needs to be repealed.

[@adrastoso9727]

All very interesting, but most people do not realize all this just basic difference with north and south and different accents. America seeing all of us as American’s is extremely important because regardless of our different ideals, we all truly want to stay as one cohesive country which is why America will never divide and is what truly makes America great!

[@speedracer1004]

As a Virginian, north Virginia is just southern Maryland, whereas the rest of the state has somewhat of a distinct identity but as urbanization creeps southward from D.C this division may only increase.

[@johnnydemartin0]

Very interesting concept, but there could be a dangerous precedent set that the federal government can reorganize any state boundary it deems “undemocratic.” Plus the logistical nightmare of waking up one morning and being in a new state with a new zip code and tax structure etc. still very cool to imagine what could be! Love your content

[@RTDoh5]

It all sounds good until one area decides to bring back slavery or end women's right because of culture. Give me a central authority that will protect basic rights that are self evident.

[@CJ_Espinoza]

Yeah that’s what this guy wants. All white- all conservative states

[@erichawman8483]

A sentiment I have had for many years now. I have played around with different state maps, trying to organize New England and the Mid-Atlantic better, but I don't have the time or resources to do a proper job. Alternately, I think there might be some use in having major cities be separated out as their own administrative districts, formalizing the rural-urban divide. "State's rights" can be a more useful governing paradigm when those states are better defined by more unified demographics.

[@resilientfarmsanddesignstu1702]

The problem with cultural borders is that they are fluid - cultures change. Thus redrawing new borders based solely upon cultures will suffer the same obsolescence problems as did the original culturally-based borders. Furthermore, there is no ecological connection to the land by doing so, and thus no desire to develop ecologically literate cultures and societies or ecologically-based and ecologically-constrained technologies and economies - which are absolutely essential to the long term sustainability and survival of the human species. A much better idea is to do the following: First, keep the idea of federalism but push all laws and policies down to the lowest possible jurisdictional level that is practically feasible. Thus, higher jurisdictions get involved in lower jurisdictions politics only in the event of harm to citizens or to the ecological commons and at the request of lower jurisdictions. This maximizes political accessibility, accountability and representativeness. Second, Jurisdictional boundaries should coincide with watershed and bioregional boundaries as much as possible. This maximizes ecologically sound land, water and ecological resource management. Third, land ownership (and the ownership of resources and buildings on that land) should be restricted to human citizen residents of the jurisdiction - no nonhuman corporate or government ownership, no absentee ownership, no foreign ownership. These entities must LEASE land and buildings from the local human citizen residents and their use must be subject to the terms of the lease. This is not radical. It is consistent with natural law - Residence implies ownership. All species, excepting modern humans with their radical land ownership ideas, are in agreement. Fourth, allow local jurisdictions to vote periodically as the which adjacent political jurisdiction that they wish to be a part of - no political gerrymandering. Fifth, campaign finance reform. Finance campaigns with tax dollars placed in a dedicated interest bearing account. If you get x signatures, you get $y and only $y campaign funds. Any additional funds is deemed a bribe and results in a mandatory fine equal to the overage plus admin fees. This is placed in the campaign fund to finance the campaigns of future candidates. Candidates found guilty of bribes are disqualified - this results in one person, one vote rather than one $ one vote, prevents candidates and elections from being bought and allows any candidate with good ideas to run for public office. Do these four things and you have a representative democracy. Fail to do them, you have a disaster trending towards political tyranny and ecological and economic collapse. Your choice!

[@TheRealUncensoredTravelGuide]

As a Geographer and world 🌍 traveler. Ive wanted this for so long. It's relatively simple minus the whole electoral college crap. People are leaving their States and cities due to values.

[@tommyrea]

The biggest problem with Federalism has been the rise of interstate commerce. As the Federalists astutely foresaw, interstate commerce must be regulated by one superseding body - the federal government. Interstate commerce used to be limited, but now, every business, even mom-&-pop shops via the internet, engages in interstate commerce. This increases the need for federal oversight in the local economies of every state. This in turn brings upon federal encroachment to all other governing issues. I do not see state autonomy being possible given the economic circumstances technology has wrought.

[@gregjrlobo6517]

At some point we're going to have to see your ideal state map. You can't just say the states need to change and then not show your map

[@chinchillaruby4170]

We need to redraw national borders, sorry Canada.

[@fighterofthenightman1057]

Rearranging state boundaries based on whatever contemporary cultural boundaries happen to be in the current year is short sighted and dumb. States change.

[@ThraceVega]

Adirondack New Yorker here, just popping in to say PLEASE SOMEBODY FREE US FROM THE TYRANNY OF NYC I JUST WANT TO LIVE WITHOUT BEING BEHOLDEN TO URBANITES WHO KNOW NOTHING OF MY LIFE OR NEEDS DAMNIT

[@MBP1918]

Of course

[@JunkyardFox403]

In a lot of cases, to really pull this off would mostly result in major metropolitan areas turned into separate states. In places like Washington and Oregon where the divide is more of a geographical east/west one it'd be different, but in a lot of places, if you wanted to draw state boundaries based on the values of the people living in given areas, the lines would probably be along the "belt line" freeways encircling a metro area. In Minnesota, everything inside the I-694/494 loop would be one state; from those freeways outward would be another. (An over-simplification, but drawing the borders any other way would be disastrous.) The divide in the U.S. is more urban/rural than anything - albeit culturally more so than geographically. It's also transcended mere cultural and philosophical differences to become mutual contempt (and, increasingly, hatred). Trying to have people with similar values and beliefs grouped together would simply result in dozens of left-wing enclaves dotting the country within the boundaries of existing states which are now largely right-wing, if they weren't before. Milwaukee is a far-left city surrounded by suburbs which are the most solidly-conservative places in Wisconsin. Could Milwaukee function as an independent state? Rural areas are generally conservative - except for Native American reservations, which are some of the most reliably-Democrat areas in the country. How would they be accounted for? I do believe, generally, that political boundaries should be drawn so that the people within them have the best shot at government that represents their interests, but I think it's too late for that in the U.S.

[@keyes858]

This is silly and ignorant. It is simply impossible to eliminate internal divisions by rearranging state boundaries.

[@parttimememedealer7071]

I'm from western Massachusetts and I genuinely would rather be governed by Connecticut than Boston at this point. I think most people west of Amherst would agree with me. That's why I'm intreauged by the greater Idaho movement.

[@schalitz1]

I'm from NH, and I get why. Massachusetts used to be a rational state, but they shifted insanely to the left over the past 5 or so years.

[@parttimememedealer7071]

@@schalitz1 I go to college in New Hampshire and love it here. I'd definitely like to move here eventually.

[@maninredhelm]

I think it'd be simpler to shift power and responsibilities towards county level governments. The Federal government should only be focused on matters that would be ineffective or horribly inefficient without interstate cooperation. The consolidation of power in the federal level and in the single person in the executive office makes the stakes of elections higher than they need to be and creates all this brinkmanship. Disperse the power and there's only so much damage a single person can do.

[@pizzaboiler]

Im from eastern oregon, and im assuming youve all heard of greater idaho and this video basically explains why

[@cirixium]

Are you for or against it though?

[@yalejacobi1982]

if this where to happen i would love to see how gerrymandered state borders can get

[@zap648]

Perhaps the big cities should become their own "city states" or such.

[@goldcanyon340.]

Not a bad idea.

[@MonsieurDean]

It's an interesting idea, though I would hesitate to call it an effective model for the United States. It's worth looking more into.

[@zap648]

Yeah, the main issue I immediately can think of is when the city grows, how it is to gobble up its neighbouring lands, especially with democratic consent.

[@weebandgaminginc.7593]

Also, half of the borders are completely geometrical and that feels illegal

[@Norm-ih2rq]

Great video.

[@DissentOrConcur]

I disagree. There is zero justification for dividing on the bases of differences in opinions or culture. We do need maybe a expansion of local representation.

[@BrutalFates]

People also forget to talk about how much these different regions within states work together to create a fully functioning state. Yes their beliefs and culture are different but there is a symbiotic relationship. NYC is a great example, while yes NYC does control a lot of NY state it also provides the state with the most amount of tax revenue. Which is then spread to other parts of the state for public services. You become weaker when you separate different economies from each other. Look at the states with the most diverse economies and largest cities and you will see they are doing leaps and bounds better then the ones that aren't. You might not like it, but its the truth, as well as this happens on a federal level as well, NY is able to support itself while other less diverse states have to get federal aid to maintain public services.

[@Chuck_vs._The_Comment_Section]

Unfortunately, you did not mention John Wesley Powell's proposal to redraw the borders of the states in the western hemisphere on the basis of available fresh water / watersheds.

[@hamfox9714]

Those of us from northeast Tennessee consider ourselves a part of tn only because we are within the borders of tn. At one time we were the state of Franklin. Everything from Knoxville west is really a separate state. Constitutionally each of our states is to run itself as its own little country within loose confines of the republic. Sadly it does not work that way.

[@brockreynolds870]

So basically what this video wants to promote is gerrymandering of state borders.

[@nataliekhanyola5669]

Yup!! Repubs are salty over the fact that large urban areas have more sway when it comes to voting and basically want to create new red states for extra electoral points.

[@randallminchew6780]

The State of Deseret will rise again!

[@bartek920]

its pointless becouse there always will be someone without representation . there always will be democrat in republican majority district and republican in democrat majority district .

[@luigianchondo7241]

In terms of cultural differences and comparing the USA to Austria-Hungary, there’s video about why Austria-Hungary like other empires collapse but USA doesn’t not since both nations dealt with different people with different cultures, is because people around the world come to the US, while Austria-Hungary just annexed other nations. And two, the “speak English” rule in the USA as well.

[@unclesam5230]

What if the United States adopted the 13 Commonwealths like the Fallout United States?

[@joshuawilliams7164]

There are a few states with at least one border that was drawn arbitrarily along a latitude or logitude line, but most states also have boders primarily defined by geographic features, usually rivers or the great lakes. The problem with that is that large cities usually form around large bodies of fresh water or ports. Those cities develop large metro areas with a culture that can extend for a good bit outside the metro area. I think the only good solution is to draw state boundaries in less populated areas with no rivers being used as state boundaries.

[@nick8243]

This would be a terrible idea. We can't split borders up just because people vote a certain way. There's plenty of Democrats in down state Illinois and upstate New York, for example. So then do we divide those divided states even more? Ridiculous. Keep the state borders the way they are. Democrats and Republicans are literally everywhere in every corner of every state.

[@svokxz6435]

As a New Jerseyan. We always talk about how we are divided between North and South. But some of these other states are united or just very divided.

[@beanyinabeanie]

why do you always release a video when im bored? i dont know! but keep up the good work!

[@MonsieurDean]

🫡

[@RipCityBassWorks]

I agree in theory, but the reality is it would be an incredibly difficult endeavor practically speaking due to threat of gerrymandering.

[@CarCar75]

The major downside I see here is an increased polarization between states

[@caster863]

The current states that we have draws more division and resentment because they're placed in communities they shouldn't be in. Like it or not, we have been a divided nation since the beginning, and the differences should be represented and respected if the whole nation should be united.

[@Anita.Cox.]

​@@caster863division is everywhere, should we split a house in 2 bc half of a family are Republican and the other half is Democrat, demographics changed and changing borders to respect divisions isnt going to work.

[@antonwarren5]

We also need wayyyyy more representatives in the house, i think the senate is a good compromise. But how are 435 people ever supposed to effectively govern a country of 300 millon people.

[@tommyrea]

I've thought for a while that the states should be reorganized in to 5 or six mega-unions that act like countries within a country, and then those mega-unions are further subdivided into territories that make the most geographical sense for governing on the local level. I.e. The NY metro area is one unified territory within the North East Mega-union. Or eastern Tennessee (Franklin) is its own separate territory within the Southern Mega-union. States like TX and CA are probably already large enough to be their own-mega unions.

[@enclave315]

Similar to The Commonwealths of the Fallout universe

[@tommyrea]

Never played but I guess@@enclave315

[@digirole60]

Excellent analysis. Yet it seems inconceivable we will see any change. I think a change in the big things need to happen first, like becoming dependant on one another through brining back manufacturing, becoming more self sufficient and less dependent on countries who don't like us. The key to future success is diversity. Diversity generates new ideas and better ways of doing things. On a larger scale, redrawing some share borders mat actually provide a more efficient and successful representation in our federal and state governments. Great video.

[@autotechxbox163]

The only problem is that the state governments, like any other government, don't want to give up any land.

[@maxflares8888]

I think the biggest example of state boundaries needing to be changed if we keep the election process the same, is California. They host THE LARGEST republican base but all of them don't have their voices heard. The republican interior of California could be a separate state to have better representation and I'm sure you can find this in every state

[@kate2create738]

From this region, THANK YOU 🥺

[@edwinholcombe2741]

Totally agree.

[@cassidy_c]

tbh i feel that this is more of an issue with the 2 party system we have, if it were organized better you would have politicians who try to appeal to those republican voters and some of the more moderate democrats, but currently everything just gets more polarized

[@ClementinesmWTF]

There’s better ways of fixing that problem than lobbing off chunks of a state for their political leanings that will still continue to change and require lobbing off more chunks in 50 years. Different voting systems specifically can allow for things to change-California’s current system is just as bad, if not worse, than the normal FPTP system and should be extremely reformed. A system that allows for third parties to flourish should be created at the *very* least, but I'd say even that isn't far enough.

[@jackmorris3973]

At 08:37 you have a map of Austria Hungary with the ethnic borders, but Tyrol has an Austrian majority, not Italian

[@jojo2007ish]

Two problems: 1. This is essentially political gerrymandering. It would make every state a safe seat which i think would ruin our political system 2. This would make way too many rural states. To be frank states like Idaho and Wyoming already have a bigger say in politics than they should Hypothetical. Theres a big political fight, pick a subject it doesnt matter. And the states start sanctioning each other. Youll have rural states charging urban states more for food and urban states locking the rural ones out of banking and tech. Personally i think this would cause our dissolution. The problem is as a countey we are all entitled to have it exactly our way all the time. We do have a joint culture together and its shit. 🤷‍♂️

[@Unknownnameplease]

The Union needs to dissolve.

[@ImStillWoody]

I've lived in PA for a majority of my life and I can say that Eastern PA has almost nothing in common with Western PA and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have nothing in common with Lancaster or Somerset. I 100% agree that state borders need to be drawn BUT we also need to take Major Cities like NYC, LA & Philadelphia and make them there own City States.

[@carlberry191]

I agree, let's create the great state of Western Pennsylvania! It'll start right outside Philadelphia County.

[@tickticktickBOOOOM]

I've been saying the state lines need to be redrawn for going on twenty years, and I'm convinced it's the only thing that will prevent or at least postpone Round Two. I'm also certain The Powers That Be would never allow it to happen, and everything will probably fall apart in the next decade or so.