Fact check: Can a state unilaterally withdraw from the United States without federal approval?

1. Summary of the results

The answer is definitively no - a state cannot unilaterally withdraw from the United States. This was explicitly established by the Supreme Court in the landmark case Texas v. White ^[1], which declared that secession is unconstitutional ^[2]. The Court established that the United States is an "indestructible Union, composed of indestructible States," and when a state joins the Union, it enters an "indissoluble relation" ^[3]. The ordinances of secession were declared "absolutely null" ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

While unilateral secession is not permitted, there are several important nuances to consider:

• The Supreme Court acknowledged that secession might be possible through either "revolution or through consent of the states" ^[2]
• States have other means of challenging federal authority through "uncooperative federalism" ^[5]
• For individuals who wish to leave the Union, the legal option is individual emigration, not state-wide secession ^[3]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question oversimplifies a complex constitutional and political issue. Several groups might benefit from promoting different narratives:

• State sovereignty advocates might benefit from promoting the idea that unilateral secession is possible, despite clear legal precedent against it
• Constitutional scholars like Akhil Reed Amar have established clear legal frameworks opposing secession ^[3]
• Modern nullification and secession movements continue to challenge federal authority, but these are better understood as political movements rather than viable legal options ^[5]

The question's framing ignores the historical context of the Civil War and subsequent Supreme Court rulings that definitively settled this constitutional question.