On January 23rd, the California Secretary of State announced that a referendum proposal on whether California should become an independent country has been approved and can begin to collect signature support.

According to the referendum proposal, if at least 50% of registered voters participate in the vote, and more than 55% of them vote in favor, this will be regarded as a "vote of no confidence in the United States of America" ​​and "an expression of the will of the people of California to secede from the Union and become an independent nation."

Supporters of this proposal believe that California has the economic and geographical conditions to become an independent country. However, this process faces many challenges. It not only needs to overcome legal obstacles, but also needs to make in-depth decisions on its future political and economic development.

If this proposal successfully enters the voting process and receives sufficient support, a special committee will be established in the future to evaluate the feasibility of California as an independent state.

One-time election-related expenses and the initial cost of forming the committee will total $10 million, according to budget estimates. In addition, approximately US$2 million is invested each year to maintain the committee's operations.

Then we enter the constitutional process. According to the U.S. Constitution, the threshold for states to establish an independent country is quite high. If Congress exceeds the consent of two-thirds, it must also obtain the consent of two-thirds of the states, that is, all 38 states agree, before it can be officially Independence, which almost eliminates the possibility of California unilaterally secession from the United States.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time California has discussed the issue of independence. As early as 2016, after President Trump took office, the "CalExit" movement quickly heated up and became the representative of California's independence issues. One of the initiators of this proposal is Marcus Ruiz Evans, the former chairman of the movement.

From an economic perspective, California's proposal for independence is not without merit. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California relies on its rich natural resources and developed technology industry to provide a strong economic foundation for independence. Moreover, California has a population of nearly 40 million and a total economic volume of US$3.9 trillion. This number far exceeds the total economic volume of Canada, which shows that California has the potential to be independent.

Those who support independence believe that California is fully capable of being independent and managing its own affairs. But a series of important issues after independence remain unresolved. For example, how to ensure California's border defense capabilities, and how to continue to maintain social welfare and medical expenditures, etc., all of which have added considerable challenges to independence.

Currently, California is extremely dependent on federal funds for medical projects and social welfare, with annual expenditures exceeding $200 billion. If California secedes from the Union, it will have to consider how to fill this huge financial gap.

In addition, California does not have a ready-made military system and needs to invest a lot of resources to establish an effective national defense.

Although the prospect of California independence is fraught with challenges, its proposal reflects the growing tension between California and the federal government. The discussion triggered by this situation is not limited to California itself, but also touches on a wide range of issues about the U.S. federal system and local autonomy. Regardless of whether the proposal ultimately makes it to the ballot, it will undoubtedly inspire California residents to think deeply and consider the future.