What US state could function as a country?

[Mike the Progressive]

Texas.

[Aleprennia]

California, Texas, Florida, New York, New England (but that would be several states)

[Marketalia]

Taking all factors into account, Texas, most likely. California might have a shot, but is too dysfunctional and is shedding jobs like a cat sheds hair.

[Ameridesia]

Texas and California.

[Qazox]

In the US,which state could be economicly successful as its own country?Economiclly,I think Tennessee for 3 reasons:
1]large amounts of coal
2]t people have a keen interest in politics
3]Just to follow the rules
I tried to add a poll,but there are too many states for a poll.

Uh... no. There are only 3 states that could be their own countries are:

#1 New York (largely due to media and financial interests)
#2 California (largley due to the amount of money the state makes every year)
#3 Texas (Oil....)

[Qazox]

Alaska: they pretty much are their own country, the Eskimo Express takes years to get news to them so they basically run themselves without the national government interfering. I heard Sarah Palin is the only Alaskan to have a telephone.

Just kidding, no offense to any Alaskans.

Dude, there's no Alaskans on the internet.

[The Scandinvans]

They're just as "communist" today as they were at any point in the last 200 years. Every economy relied in large part upon communist organizational structures until around the 19th century, when the millennia-old communal farms were forcibly taken by the respective states and meted out to aristocrats-turned-crony capitalists.

Actually you speak from a perspective which seems to disregard the basic principle that in feudal societies the land was owned, well in theory held if they were vassals, by the nobles whom benefited from the labor of serfs and other peasants. In return for the right to work the land and protection they gave a portion of their harvest to their lord.

[Briarcliffe Falls]

I think Pennsylvania could. And several others too...too lazy to list them all right now

[The Roman Alliance]

Alaska:

1. Extensive oil wealth.
2. Close (trade) proximity to Canada and Asia.
3. Social welfare (I.e. Dividend) checks provided to citizens from oil royalties.
4. A small and relatively homogeneous population.
5. A relatively low jobless rate with a high per capita income.

[The Roman Alliance]

California would be crash within a year. California is America's version of Spain. They need to rely on the Federal Reserve (I.e. American Dollar), federal government aid and redistribution and the federal government's perceived guarantee on Californian State Debt and Municipal Bond Markets.

[Arumdaum]

California would be crash within a year. California is America's version of Spain. They need to rely on the Federal Reserve (I.e. American Dollar), federal government aid and redistribution and the federal government's perceived guarantee on Californian State Debt and Municipal Bond Markets.

Actually, California is a net contributor, getting only 78 cents back for every dollar it gives to the government. If California were independent, our budget would be larger by 28% since we wouldn't be giving all our money away to the feds.

[Natair]

Alaska: they pretty much are their own country, the Eskimo Express takes years to get news to them so they basically run themselves without the national government interfering. I heard Sarah Palin is the only Alaskan to have a telephone.

Just kidding, no offense to any Alaskans.

Dude, there's no Alaskans on the internet.

Oh, really?

[No-Ghost Zone]

New Mexico

[Pope Joan]

Before the lock (so unfair), I say PA.

We have lots of high quality anthracite coal, lots of high grade oil, some of the best diverse hardwood forests in North America, a deep water seaport, lots of water, more miles of paved road per capita than any other state (the last I checked), Well respected and long established institutions of higher learning, excellent hospitals including the world leader in pediatric transplant surgery, one of the leading centers for study and development of cybernetics and robotics (Carnegie-Mellon U.), temperate climate, moderate crime (not ideal, but below the national average), and a tradition of religious tolerance and mutual aid (thanks to Penn and Franklin).