What state is the most powerful?

Luigi7255

@JeffreyBlankenship

Good question. It'll mostly be down to the ten most populous states (i.e California, Texas, New York, etc.), mostly because of the population and military focus on said states. I'd be rooting for my home state, but It'd most likely lose anyway.

JeffreyBlankenship

@Luigi7255. Which state is that?

Plaffelvohfen

@JeffreyBlankenship

It would have to be California... It has the highest number of stationed active duty personnel, the most military installations and consequently the highest federal defense yearly spending in a single state (66 Billions in 2019)... Virginia and Texas are the only other serious contenders for second place...

John_C_87

@JeffreyBlankenship
So, you decide, who would be the most powerful out of these 50 nations?  
The most powerful state would be the state of confusion created by the undertaking of this type of action. The United States armed services would not be so easily disbanded by the new so-called Countries which had been previously just legal state in a union of law. The united states of America are a state of law set by the Declaration of Independence.

Luigi7255

@JeffreyBlankenship

My home state? Illinois, the 6th most populous currently.

MayCaesar

Whatever state the DC ends up in (probably Maryland). As that is where the military commandment is located, it will make sure during the split to pull as much military power towards itself as possible and become the by far dominant power on the continent.

That said, I do not think that the military power here is important: established democratic countries tend to not fight wars between themselves. What is more interesting is to ask which state would have the biggest amount of economic power. Here I would go with California and New York in the short run, and Texas and Florida in the long run. California and New York currently have monstrous economies, but their policies are awful, and if they become separated from the union and the socialist zeal of their politicians and intellectuals no longer is contained by the federal government, then it is a fast descent for them. As for Texas and Florida, they are currently undertaking the most definitive free market reforms, with cities like Austin and Miami becoming major investment hubs; Texas might get tangled up in the traditionalist Republican politics after separation which would slow it down some, but Florida would certainly take off into space.

JeffreyBlankenship

@Luigi7255ahh nice

CYDdharta

Montana and North Dakota.  They have the most firepower.