A survey conducted from Aug. 23 to Sept. 16 and participated in by almost 9,000 Americans showed 23.9 percent either strongly supported or tended to support the idea of their state being free from any control of the union.
Several issues have been pointed out which led the participants to vote in favor of the secession. These would range from President Barack Obama's healthcare reform to the rise of Islamic State militants. Both Democrats and Republicans are open to the idea, though the latter showed a bigger support percentage of 29.7 compared to the Democrats' percentage of 21.
One nurse from North Carolina cited discontent over the law on healthcare reform brought about by the "Obamacare" program and wondered if her state would perform better if left by itself. "That has really hurt a lot of people here, myself included," said Royal, a Republican.
The respondent further believes that the state of North Carolina is sustainable by itself and that its governor, Pat McCrory, has a healthcare plan that is better than what is offered by President Obama.
Based on regional results, the idea gained the least support in New England where a percentage of only 17.4 of the surveyed are open to breaking away from the union.
In contrast, the Southwest showed a higher percentage support of 34.1 backing the idea. This includes Texas, which has a group of activists that urges the state's legislature to conduct a statewide balloting of the move to become an independent state.
"Texas has everything we need," said 59-year-old Mark Denny, a retired worker who lives outside Dallas and is supported by receiving disability payments.
Daniel Miller, president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, cited a bigger reason why Texans are unhappy with the way Washington ignores the important issues faced by their state.
"One of the big issues in Texas right now ... is obviously the border and immigration," said Miller. "Over the last eight years, issues related to the border and immigration have consistently polled as the number one concern for Texans, yet the federal government continues to do absolutely nothing substantial about addressing the border crisis or the immigration issues."
Apart from Texas and North Carolina, other states that have filed petitions to withdraw from the union include Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
According to historical scholars and legal analysts, the secession movement is a legal impossibility and that the Constitution has no procedure that would allow it. "Ultimately, it's a political question," said Sanford Levinson, a constitutional scholar at the University of Texas School of Law.
