Redistricting for a New Federalism

 

Cities have become much larger than they were back in the day when provincial and state boundaries were drawn, and this has created a political problem. City life and city concerns are very different from those of the smaller towns and rural areas. There is a cultural divide. In many territories, the rural and small town vote gets consistently overwhelmed by the big city. That is the very problem that federalism was meant to prevent.

Accordingly, it is time for a general redistricting, establishing really large cities as their own independent provinces and states. 

In Canada, Montreal and Toronto-Golden Horseshoe need to be hived off. This would create a better demographic balance with the other provinces as well: Ontario and Quebec have far more people than the others.

In the US, there is rural dissatisfaction in the Pacific states and in Illinois. Chicago, Los Angeles-San Diego, San Francisco-Silicon Valley, and Seattle-Portland could be hived off. In the East, New York City-Long Island could be a separate state.