[vearwhershuh]

The best thing that could happen to the United States would be an amicable divorce.

It is ridiculous to have national elections matter so much at the local level and come down to a few counties in a few contested states, remote from the vast majority of citizens.

Edit: It's heartening to see all the principled federalism and subsidiarity here in the HN comments. I'm sure it would be the same if a Democrat were in office and a Republican governer were talking this way, no?

[maxerickson]

The media presents election results as if that is what happens, but most states are winner take all, county and district lines don't matter:

https://www.270towin.com/alternative-electoral-college-alloc...

Probably the simplest/most possible step forward would be to expand the House of Representatives by quite a bit.

[lonelappde]

A small nation has less coordinated power and would get walked over by USSR and China.

If the US was 50 small nations in WWII, Hitler more likely would have won.

[gremlinsinc]

France, Germany, etc all have their own armies but are part of the EU, and United Nations.

The states could be more like that.. a loose federation that only comes together in times of war but other than that the state decides their own constitutions, etc..and have their own presidents/etc..