Soft secession (also noncooperative federalism) [1] is term in the politics of the United States describing non-cooperation with the US federal government by a city or state.

Aug 18, 2025 · But common ground requires both sides to show up. And increasingly, they’re not. The phrase “soft secession” makes Democrats nervous. They prefer “resistance” or “federalism” or any …

Soft secession, powered by the presidential ambitions of multiple blue-state governors, could, should it come to that, be the proving ground of a new confederacy.

Unlike a full secession, which is unconstitutional and historically settled by the Civil War, a “soft secession” would attempt to exert economic leverage without formally breaking from the...

Aug 22, 2025 · Soft secession represents a fundamental realignment toward a confederation of semi-autonomous regions rather than a unified nation-state. States are building parallel systems for …

Sep 17, 2025 · Acknowledging that many large Democratic-led states contribute more in federal taxes than they receive in federal grants, some state leaders have proposed what they term “ soft secession...

This isn’t secession with bayonets and barricades. It’s soft secession: states refusing to enforce federal directives, rejecting cooperation, and constructing realities where D.C. has little say.

Sep 3, 2025 · Ironically, it was a conservative Supreme Court that enabled Red states to circumvent, weaken, or ignore federal laws they disliked, which now opens the door to soft succession by Blue …

Aug 18, 2025 · As blue states prepare to deny federal agents access to their databases, their highways, maybe even their airspace, the soft secession isn’t coming. It’s here.

Oct 8, 2025 · “Soft secession seems like a tough-minded workaround against disliked federal policies. And maybe it brings state-level experimentation that suits local preferences,” he offered.