Contents

Foreword by Carlo Lottieri

Preface

Introduction: Universal Rights, Locally Enforced

PART I: BIG STATES, SMALL STATES, AND SECESSION

1. More Choices, More Freedom, Less Monopoly Power

2. Political Anarchy Is How the West Got Rich

3. Why Regimes Prefer Big States and Centralized Power

4. Why the Classical Liberals Wanted Decentralization

5. Secession as a Path to Self-Determination

6. Nationalism as National Liberation: Lessons from the End of the Cold War

7. A Brief History of Secession Plebiscites in Europe

8. Why the US Supports Secession for Africans, but Not for Americans

9. From Taxes to Trade, More Secession Means More Freedom

10. If California Secedes, What Happens to Locals Who Opposed Secession?

11. How Small Is Too Small?

12. When It Comes to National Defense, It’s More than Size that Matters 13. If America Splits Up, What Happens to the Nukes?

PART II: DECENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRACY

14. Why “One Man, One Vote” Doesn’t Work

15. Democracy Doesn’t Work Unless It’s Done Locally

PART III: LESSONS FROM AMERICA’S PAST, AND STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE

16. How Early Americans Decentralized Military Power

17. Before Roe v. Wade, Abortion Policy was a State and Local Matter

18. When Immigration Policy Was Decentralized

19. Why Indian Tribal Sovereignty Is Important

20. Sovereignty for Cities and Counties: Decentralizing the American States

Postscript: A Tale of Two Megastates: Why the EU Is Better (In Some Ways) than the US