California Split - New York Times

via New York Times: "A recent study by the economists Alberto Alesina of Harvard and Enrico Spolaore of Tufts demonstrates that the bigger the nation, the harder it becomes for the government to meet the needs of its dispersed population. Regions that don’t feel well served by the government’s distribution of goods and services then have an incentive to take independent action, the economists note."

Explains rise of secessionist movements in India after independence - to break free from the centrally managed disaster.