Help us design this secession poll! Here’s the questions we plan to ask

This post is divided in 3 sections. The first section is the questions that we will ask all 6 coastal Southern states: TX, La, MS, AL, FL, SC. The second section is the questions unique to those states. The third section is the questionnaire for Hawaii.

The main purpose of the poll is to figure out where the US secession movement should focus its money, energy, and organizational efforts. We also want to show that secession is popular enough in at least one state to start making it happen through unilateral secession.

If you have suggestions for how to modify or add to this questionnaire, please comment below, or email: admin ~at~ redstatesecession.org .

We will email you the poll results in about 3 weeks if you remain subscribed to this free substack. Substack is just a way to get an email every time we want to send out a major post. Also make sure you are following us on all our social media.

Please understand we are not asking you to answer these questions. A professional pollster will ask them to a random sample of people. We are asking for your help in designing this poll.

We didn’t upload our last three website posts to substack because they didn’t seem important enough to interrupt your day by email but you can enjoy them here.

Generic Southern States Poll:

Begin Script:

[A] Some people don’t vote regularly. Others vote only in presidential elections, but not in minor elections. And still others vote in every election. What about you?

Don’t vote regularly

Vote only in presidential elections

Vote in every election

Not sure

Introduction

This survey is about possible responses to the political problems of the US. The focus is on discovering [your state’s] attitudes toward making the US into two or more separate countries.

Uninfluenced question

[B] Would you support [your state] peacefully becoming an independent country along with other conservative states? [ definitely yes / yes / no opinion /no / definitely no ]

WARM UP

[C] Which government do you trust more? [your state] state government, or the federal government in Washington DC? [ state government / federal government ]

[D] Some people believe that there was fraud in the 2020 election. In 2024, how far off do you think the presidential election results will be from the true, honest number?  [ 0 to 1% / 1% to 5% / more than 5% ]

[E] Polls show that US citizens are growing more divided.  Although some stick with traditional morality, politics, and culture, others are getting farther and farther from it.

Some Americans are concerned that the federal government does not have their interests at heart, does not respect their rights, and imposes values different from their own values. Some are concerned that the federal government spends so much tax money that it risks catastrophic inflation or bankruptcy. 

Which is closer to your expectations about the next 30 years? [ The US will keep becoming more liberal because liberals control most of  the news media, social media, schools, and universities / the US will become more conservative / the US won’t change a lot in either direction ]

[F] Some people believe that the US is systemically racist against people of color. Others believe that the federal government enforces an affirmative-action system that will work against white people more and more. If Southern states of the US became a separate country from Northern states, do you think your descendants will be more likely or less likely to be discriminated against for their race, or even their political beliefs, faith or culture, as compared to what would happen if the US remains one country? [ more likely / less likely / no opinion ]

WARM UP – alternate solutions etc.

[G] History teaches that some secessions are peaceful and others are not. If the conservative movement develops a willingness to use violence to carry out its plans, which plan do you think would result in more political violence and wasted effort overall in the US? Plan 1: split the US so that conservative states become a separate country from Democrat-leaning states. Plan 2: put the federal government of the US under conservative control, and keep that control, even if it means going outside the rules of the Constitution. [ Goal 1 / Goal 2 / no opinion ]

[H] Would you prefer to live in a large country governed by Democrats, or a medium-sized country governed by Republicans? [ large country / medium country ]

[I] Do you think our continent should remain divided between the 3 countries of Canada, the US, and Mexico, or do you think a single country formed from all three would be better? [ 3 countries / a single country ]

SECONDARY QUESTIONS

[J] If [your state] became a part of a conservative country, would you move to another state within the next 10 years for that reason? Definitely / probably / maybe / no

[K] If a Southern state became a part of a conservative country, but your state didn’t, would you move to that state within the next 10 years? Definitely / probably / maybe / no

[L] How should Congress respond if someday California votes to: declare independence, peacefully negotiate with Congress to separate from the US, no longer send its politicians to Congress, and sign a treaty to allow US military bases at San Diego Bay? [Use lethal force to keep the state in the US / impose economic sanctions to try to change the state’s mind / let it become independent]

[M] How should Congress respond if someday Texas votes to:  declare independence, peacefully negotiate with Congress to separate from the US, and no longer send its politicians to Congress? [Use lethal force to keep the state in the US / impose economic sanctions to try to change the state’s mind / let it become independent]

[N] How should Congress respond if someday Hawaii votes to: declare independence, peacefully negotiate with Congress to separate from the US, no longer send its politicians to Congress, and sign a treaty to allow US military bases at Pearl Harbor? [Use lethal force to keep the state in the US / impose economic sanctions to try to change the state’s mind / let it become independent]

CORE QUESTIONS

[O] Which of these peaceful nationwide plans would be more likely to achieve the goals of [your state] conservatives? Plan A: focus only on trying to win control of the federal government so that conservatives can try to reverse the direction of the country?  or Plan B: put part of the focus on making an effort to convince conservative states to become a separate country from Democrat-controlled states? [Plan A / Plan B / no opinion ]

[P] Which do you prefer [your state] do? [ Join a country formed from states that lean Republican (those states are in the South, the heartland, and a part of the West) / Join a new country formed from Southern states / Become completely independent from other states, except for economic trade agreements and military alliances / Remain a part of the US / no opinion ]

[Q] Do you support or oppose the idea of [your state] holding a vote to find out whether voters want [your state] to peacefully separate from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[R] Do you support or or oppose the idea of [your state] setting a date to be independent from the US, recruiting other freedom-loving states to join a federation, and peacefully negotiating a withdrawal from the US, even if it is uncertain whether other states would join [your state] in separating from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[S] Do you support or oppose the idea of Congress negotiating the peaceful separation of the US into two countries: one country of conservative states, and one country of liberal states? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[T] If you knew of a political movement in [your state] that was legally working to convince state officials to lead the state out of the US, how much time would you probably give to volunteering for it each year? [ at least a few days / a few minutes to contact politicians / none ]

[U] If you knew of a political movement in [your state] that was legally working to convince state officials to lead the state out of the US, how much would you donate to it in a typical year? [ more than $200 / at least $20 / nothing ]

[V] How would you react if, in the future, powerful conservative members of the military or a conservative president announced that they were in the process of taking military control of the US, to prevent it from being governed by Democrats? [ I would resist violently / I would resist non-violently / I would not resist ]

Federalism / Prep

[W] Texas convinced the federal government to locate a portion of its gold reserves in Texas so that if the dollar fails or the federal government fails, Texas will still have some basis for a currency. Do you think [your state] should ask for the same thing? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[X]  The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill to create a process for the state legislature to forbid state government or local government cooperation with federal actions that violate the US Constitution.  Would you support or oppose a law like this for your state? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[Y] Some sheriffs have been given the authority, when there is a civil disturbance, to protect the county by deputizing an unlimited number of citizens. Do you want your sheriff to have this authority? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[Z] Some states have a state defense force that answers to the governor, not to the president. It serves the state’s needs even when the president sends the state’s National Guard elsewhere. Do you support or oppose the idea of some of [your state’s] money that has been going into the National Guard going into a state defense force instead? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[Z+] The federal government can force banks to do whatever it wants to bank customers because it has control over the system for transferring money between banks. Do you support or oppose the idea of your state creating a back-up system for transferring money between banks? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[Z-] How would you describe your state government? [ too conservative / not conservative enough / just right ]

Questions unique to a Southern state:

Ask this after the fourth core question [TX 1] Texas has almost as many Democrats as Republicans now, but most counties strongly favor one party or the other. Would you favor the idea of splitting Texas into two states, so that areas that vote for one party wouldn’t be ruled by a state government of the other party? The new state, that votes Democrat, would consist of the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and perhaps even Austin.   [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[TX 2] If Texas became two states as just described, would you support or oppose the idea of your new state peacefully separating (seceding) from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

ask this before the last core question: [TX 3] The Texas secession movement has not had success at the state level. Would you favor or oppose the idea of counties of East Texas, or of the Gulf Coast from Corpus Cristi to Galveston, declaring independence from the US and being prepared to use force to maintain that independence, if those counties allowed other counties to join them? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[La] If a secession movement failed to convince Louisiana to secede, would you favor or oppose the idea of parishes of western Louisiana declaring independence from the US and being prepared to use force to maintain that independence, if those parishes allowed any parish or state to join them? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[MS 1] If a secession movement failed to convince Mississippi to secede, would you favor or oppose the idea of counties of southeastern Mississippi declaring independence from the US and being prepared to use force to maintain that independence, if those counties allowed other counties to join them? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

Follow Up [MS 2] The federal government spends more money in Mississippi than it gets back from Mississippi in taxes. One study estimated that, beyond the national average, the amount of money that the federal government spends in a typical year in Mississippi, above what it gets back, is almost 12% of Mississippians’ income.  Does this make you opposed to Mississippi separating from the federal government? [ yes / no / I was already opposed before I learned that ]

[AL 1] If a secession movement failed to convince Alabama to secede, would you favor or oppose the idea of counties of southern Alabama declaring independence from the US and being prepared to use force to maintain that independence, if those counties allowed other counties to join them? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

Followup [AL 2]The federal government spends more money in Alabama than it gets back from Alabama in taxes. One study estimated that, beyond the national average, the amount of money that the federal government spends in a typical year in Alabama, above what it gets back, is about 10% of Alabamians’ income.  Does this make you opposed to Alabama separating from the federal government? [ yes / no / I was already opposed before I learned that ]

Ask this after the fourth core question

[FL 1] Florida has about as many Democrats as Republicans, but most counties strongly favor one party or the other. Would you support or oppose the idea of splitting Florida into two states, so that areas that vote for one party wouldn’t be ruled by a state government of the other party?   The new state, that votes Democrat, would be composed of southeastern Florida from Miami to Palm Beach, plus perhaps a separate, very narrow slice of the state from Orlando to Daytona Beach. Together, that’s one third of the population of Florida. [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

[FL 2] If Florida became two states as just described, would you support or oppose the idea of your new state peacefully separating (seceding) from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

Followup [SC] The federal government spends more money in South Carolina, including on military, than it gets back from South Carolina in taxes. One study estimated that, beyond the national average, the amount of money that the federal government spends in a typical year in South Carolina, above what it gets back, is more than 6% of South Carolinians’ income.  Does this make you opposed to South Carolina separating from the federal government? [ yes / no / I was already opposed before I learned that ]

Hawaii poll questionnaire

Begin Script:

1. [A] Some people don’t vote regularly. Others vote only in presidential elections, but not in minor elections. And still others vote in every election. What about you?

Don’t vote regularly

Vote only in presidential elections

Vote in every election

Not sure

Introduction

This survey is about possible responses to the political problems of the US. The focus is on discovering Hawaii’s attitudes toward making the US into two separate countries. 

2. [HI 1] If Hawaii became an independent country and was no longer a part of the US, who would you prefer to have voting rights in Hawaii? [indigenous native Hawaiians only / all residents of Hawaii plus former residents who move back ]

Now for all these questions, assume that all residents of Hawaii would get citizenship and voting rights in Hawaii.  Also assume that the mainland would continue to control the naval base at Pearl Harbor, and protect Hawaii from foreign countries to prevent China from gaining a naval base there.

Uninfluenced question

3. [HI 2] Would you support Hawaii peacefully becoming an independent country along with other states that tend to vote for Democrats? [ definitely yes / yes / no opinion / no / definitely no ]

WARM UP

4. [C] Which government do you trust more? Hawaii state government, or the federal government in Washington DC? [ state government / federal government ]

Polls show that US citizens are growing more divided.  Although some stick with traditional morality, politics, and culture, others are getting farther and farther from it.

5. [HI 3] History teaches that some secessions are peaceful and others are not. If the progressive movement in politics develops a willingness to use lethal force to achieve its goals, which plan do you think would result in more political violence and wasted effort overall in the US? Plan 1: split the US so that progressive states become a separate country from Republican-leaning states. Plan 2: put the federal government of the US under progressive control, and keep that control, even if it means going outside the rules of the Constitution. [ Goal 1 / Goal 2 / no opinion ]

6. [I] Do you think North America should remain divided between the 3 countries of Canada, the US, and Mexico, or do you think a single country formed from all three would be preferable? [ 3 countries / a single country ]

7. [L] How should Congress respond if someday California votes to: declare independence, peacefully negotiate with Congress to separate from the US, no longer send its politicians to Congress, and sign a treaty to allow US military bases at San Diego Bay? [Use lethal force to keep the state in the US / impose economic sanctions to try to change the state’s mind / let it become independent]

8. [M] How should Congress respond if someday Texas votes to: declare independence, peacefully negotiate with Congress to separate from the US, and no longer send its politicians to Congress? [Use lethal force to keep the state in the US / impose economic sanctions to try to change the state’s mind / let it become independent]

9. [HI 4] US law requires shipping between US ports to be done by US sailors on US-flagged ships built in the US. This makes shipping to Hawaii from the US expensive.  It makes cruises within Hawaii expensive. And cruises to Hawaii from the West Coast are too expensive unless they stop in a foreign country first. If Hawaii were no longer under this US law, and Hawaii still didn’t require visas for US tourists, how much do you think Hawaii’s economy would improve? [ a lot / somewhat / not much ]

10. [HI 5] The overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom occurred in 1893. How would you describe the method that the US used to acquire control of the Hawaiian Islands? [ unjustified / justified / no opinion ]

11. [HI 6] Do you feel that the US has a moral right to keep control of Hawaii by force if Hawaii votes to become independent?  [ very much / somewhat / not at all / no, it would be wrong ]

12. [HI 7] Would you prefer to live in a large country governed by Republicans, or a small country governed by Democrats? [ large country / small country ]

CORE

13. [HI 8] Which of these peaceful nationwide plans would be more likely to achieve the goals of Hawaii progressives? Plan A: focus only on trying to keep control of the federal government or Plan B: put part of the focus on making an effort to convince progressive states to become a separate country from Republican-controlled states? [Plan A / Plan B / no opinion ]

14. [HI 9] Which do you prefer Hawaii do? [ Join a country formed from states that lean Democrat (mostly on the West Coast and East Coast) / Join a new country formed from Hawaii and the West Coast / Become completely independent from other states, except for economic trade agreements and military alliances / Remain in the US / no opinion ]

15. [Q] Do you support or oppose the idea of Hawaii holding a vote to find out whether voters want Hawaii to peacefully separate from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

16. [R] Do you support or oppose the idea of Hawaii setting a date to be independent from the US, recruiting other freedom-loving states to join a federation, and peacefully negotiating a withdrawal from the US, even if it is uncertain whether other states would join Hawaii in separating from the US? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

17. [S] Do you support or oppose the idea of Congress negotiating the peaceful separation of the US into two countries: one country of conservative states, and one country of liberal states? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

18. [T’] If you knew of a political movement in Hawaii that was legally working to convince state officials to lead the state out of the US for the benefit of all residents, how much time would you probably give to volunteering for it each year? [ at least a few days / a few minutes to contact politicians / none ]

19. [U’] If you knew of a political movement in Hawaii that was legally working to convince state officials to lead the state out of the US for the benefit of all residents, how much would you donate to it in a typical year? [ more than $200 / at least $20 / nothing ]

20. [V] How would you react if, in the future, powerful conservative members of the military or a conservative president announced that they were in the process of taking military control of the US, to prevent it from being governed by Democrats? [ I would resist violently / I would resist non-violently / I would not resist ]

Federalism / Prep

21. [Z] Some states have a state defense force that answers to the governor, not to the president. It serves the state’s needs even when the president sends the state’s National Guard elsewhere. Do you support or oppose the idea of some of Hawaii’s money that has been going into the National Guard going into a state defense force instead? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ] 22. [Z+] The federal government can force banks to do what it wants to bank customers because it has control over the system that banks use to transfer money with each other. Do you support or oppose the idea of your state creating a back-up system for transferring funds between banks? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]

22. [Z+] The federal government can force banks to do what it wants to bank customers because it has control over the system that banks use to transfer money with each other. Do you support or oppose the idea of your state creating a back-up system for transferring funds between banks? [ strongly support / somewhat support / no opinion / somewhat oppose / strongly oppose ]