Griffiths Weighs in on Texas Seceding from the US in Newsweek Article

June 22, 2022

Newsweek

Ryan Griffiths

Political Science Department

Sovereignty Order & Conflict Program

Government

United States

Newsweek

Ryan Griffiths

At its convention over the weekend, the Texas GOP voted on a number of measures to be included in the party's official platform, the most noteworthy being a call for Texans to be allowed to vote on whether or not to secede from the United States. Experts say a secession is unlikely to happen.

"The secession of Texas is a very unlikely event," says Ryan Griffiths, associate professor of political science and author of "Secession and the Sovereignty Game: Strategy and Tactics for Aspiring Nations" (Cornell University Press, 2021). "Secessionist movements need momentum, especially in a modern democracy where the exit costs are quite high," he says. "Second, even if the movement built that momentum, it would still have to reckon with the United States government, which can block its efforts fairly easily."

Read more in the Newsweek article, "Could Texas Really Secede? Experts Weigh in."