[roncesvalles]

Separatism is born of a sense of ethnoracial exceptionalism:

1) we're a genealogically different ethnic group from the rest of the country

2) we're better than the major ethnic group of the rest of the country

Both bits are absolutely essential. I can't recall a single instance of a separatist movement based on purely political differences gaining serious ground, Alberta included.

[api]

Why just ethnic? It can also be religious, ideological, or based on some economic interest. The US revolution was a mix of tax revolt and ideology. The British were the same ethnic group as most of the leaders of the revolution.

[KingOfCoders]

It would be kind of a stretch to argue this as the reasons for separation of the US from the UK - I can see some of it, but I think the argument is a stretch.

[roncesvalles]

I wouldn't define independence from colonial rule as separatism.