The year of two presidents -- What is secession? -- Secession around the world -- Redland and blueland : the case for secession -- Three blueprints for American divorce -- The perils of American divorce -- The right to secede? -- The benefits of smallness? -- American divorce : what it would really look like -- Why America should stay together

"The introduction to the book begins with a fictional story of an attempt at secession following the contested Presidential election of 2028. With two Presidents a Red President and a Blue President each claiming victory, America tries to split into two countries. But with the two populations intermixed, the project of secession spirals into violence and state collapse. The second half of the chapter outlines the argument and path of the book. It explains the arguments that secessionists make, and why secession is doomed to fail. The book concludes that America is worth saving, and that while polarization is a problem, frank discussions and counselling are far better than a national divorce"-- Provided by publisher