A couple of days ago #Calexit started to trend on Twitter. It’s the absurd proposal that California should leave America to join Canada. Some Californians might be thrilled with this idea after riots broke out when Trump was elected into power. Others will no doubt wonder how the state reached this point. It is also interesting to consider whether the movement will even proceed. Unfortunately, even if Calexit is forgotten, there are other issues the state is facing.

Uneven Economic Growth

Supporters of Calexit have claimed that the state has the sixth or seventh biggest economy in the world. While this might technically be true, the situation isn’t quite as simple as that. In the past, California has experienced several instances of uneven economic growth. It’s hard to predict how well California will do going into 2017. However, it’s almost certain that Calexit could ultimately damage their economy further.

Low Public Trust

It’s true to say that voting turnout for the presidential election was not as high as people originally predicted. After all the numbers are calculated, it will probably settle somewhere around fifty percent. It could be lower in states where there is a history of low turnout like California. Many people simply don’t trust the system, and this could be one of the main pushes behind Calexit.

Housing Crisis

Then there’s the housing Crisis. Politicians in Cali have already stated that if Calexit moved forward, they would welcome Syrian refugees. Unfortunately, as the infographic below shows, they might not be in the position to do this. The housing crisis in Cali has lead to citizens being unable to afford homes. Policy changes are being put forward to resolve the situation. But it is still clear that California is currently in no position to take on an increase in population.

Infographic Produced By University of San Francisco