We have come a long way since the Civil War, but suddenly secession is a hot topic once again in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of citizens in more than 30 states ­— including New York — are petitioning the federal government for their right to secede from the union, and the number of signatories is growing rapidly in the wake of President Obama’s re-election.

Apparently, to a handful of Americans, all it takes is 25,000 signatures for a state of millions to exit the union. This development seems a little brash and ill-conceived. It suggests that Americans would rather expend energy to withdraw from the federal government than work out a solution.

It goes without saying that the United States as a whole would suffer both geopolitically and economically if the states secede. At the same time, the only benefit that these states would receive would be ideological homogeneity. Their economies would be weak, as they would receive no more funding from the federal government. And in the absence of a strong government, these states would be even more vulnerable to wars and other conflicts — just as the Confederacy was weakened and eventually defeated due to its lack of a strong central government.

While we feel that secession is not the solution to the social and political woes these states are facing, their petitions force us to acknowledge that polarization in this country has reached a point where many citizens feel they must break ties with the nation in order to solve their economic and social woes. While we agree with them that the policies of the federal government may not always align with their views and that it can be difficult to affect change within the system, a more viable solution would be to work for change within the United States.

Fortunately, if you think the government is not doing what is right for you, there are a number of less radical ways to change that. Vote for candidates who agree with you or run for office yourself. Create or sign petitions that propose substantive solutions rather than quitting the country altogether.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Nov. 14 print edition. E-mail the WSN editorial board at [email protected].