A ballot initiative asking Californians if they would like to secede from the United States was cleared to gather signatures late last month. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the California Independence Plebiscite of 2025, or Calexit, would create “a 20-member state commission on California sovereignty and independence from the United States” that, by 2028, would “be required to produce a public report on the ability of California to govern itself as an independent nation.” Then, on the November 2028 ballot, voters would be asked: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?” If at...