Although the goal for this country has always been to have a United States of America, often it has been the Divided States of America. That was certainly true in the mid-19th century with slave states and free states. In many ways, it is true today in terms of the different economic philosophies of the states.

Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore (“The Red-State Path to Prosperity,” Wall Street Journal, 27 March 2013) explain that you can tell a lot about prosperity “by observing places people are moving to and where they are packing up and moving from.” The fastest-growing metro areas were Raleigh, Austin, Las Vegas, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Cities in the blue states are the biggest population losers.

There is a reason for this migration: economic incentives. Red states generally are reducing tax rates and easing regulations. They also offer right-to-work laws as an enticement for businesses. Blue states in the Northeast, Midwest, and West seem to be doing just the opposite.

Laffer and Moore predict that within a decade five or six states in the South will entirely eliminate their incomes taxes. Already three of these states do not have a state income tax. If their prediction is true, a region stretching from Florida through Texas and Louisiana could become a vast state income-tax-free zone.

They also noted that the Northeast is bluer than ever. When you add states like Illinois and California, you see a similar trend. In fact, these blue states (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon) have all raised income taxes in recent years.

These are the Divided States of America. Red states (especially in the South) are moving forward with pro-growth tax reform. Blue states in the Northeast and elsewhere are doubling down on taxes and regulations. If these trends continue, expect moreAmericans to move from blue to red.