“Voting with their feet”

The Telegram, May 12, 2026

The Telegram (April 11th) wrote about mass migration from authoritarian states.

The forces that drive migration from non-democratic countries can also occur wherever a single party faces little opposition. The persistence of one-party dominance in states like California gives rise to a sense that power is uncontested, that institutions serve insiders, and that rules are written for those who write them. Democrats hold every statewide office, command supermajorities in the legislature, shape the judiciary, the regulatory apparatus and the administrative state, with little political opposition.

After nearly three decades of one-party rule, California has experienced an unprecedented number of people leaving the state. Surveys show the reasons for leaving include the cost of living, quality of schools, taxes, public safety, and a sense that the state is unresponsive to voters’ concerns.

A functioning democracy requires competitive pressures. If that is absent, it can also send people packing.

Dr. Francois Melese

Emeritus professor of economics, Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California