California Reimagined: A State Beyond the Union

Rebecca Kuiters | United States Fellow

Image sourced from Lesli Whitecotton via Pexels.

California is home to a lot of modern American issues: homelessness, a housing crisis, growing wealth inequality and immigration tensions. However, the state is also inarguably a flagship of liberal idealism that prides itself on progressive social values, ambition and innovation. California is the only viable domestic representative with the stature and size to influence progressive policy within and beyond the union. With a federal administration implementing policies that hurt California’s economy, autonomy, and societal freedoms, California has the ability to redefine what a subnational power looks like. California should look to reimagine its position within the union and continue to build its own relationship with international partners while protecting its already established global network. 

Why California

With the 4th largest economy worldwide, California contributes more to the United States (US) economy than any other state.  As a donor state, meaning it receives less federal funding than it contributes, California finds itself supporting deficit states that are overwhelmingly Republican. With its ideal port locations and prime agricultural land alongside its international standing as an innovative tech and entrepreneurial hub, the state is well positioned as a powerhouse. 

However, California’s most valuable global export is American ideology. Hollywood, and the greater LA area, is by far the most influential producer and worldwide exporter of American culture. Its global impact is unmistakable - Canadians tend to know more about US history than their own and Australians are more interested in US elections than their own domestic politics. 

When most media in the Anglosphere is dominated by American productions, it has an impact. That impact is made in California. 

Beyond the numbers, California is undeniably instrumental in exporting and upholding American culture, innovation and the greater national economy. With how important California is to the US, California should push back against pressure from the Trump administration and reinforce its global position by protecting its domestic standing and continuing to meet with foreign partners. 

Newsom’s Agenda - Global Strategy 

Governor Gavin Newsom has come to embody the Californian resistance to the Trump administration’s attacks on the state. Newsom has sued the Trump administration itself for the illegal takeover of the National Guard and is further suing Fox News for misrepresenting facts regarding immigration protests in the state. Beyond California, Newsom has responded to the state of Texas’s gerrymandering – in which politicians are allowed to manipulate their district boundaries to favour their party – with a plan to redraw his own congressional districts.

Newsom has made it clear that California will not play by the rules that disadvantage the state’s voice within the greater union. This bare knuckle approach reflects the attitude of his state that has been unsatisfied with previous progressive responses to Trump. California is a major power, and Newsom is aiming to treat it like one, not just among other states rivaling its position, but throughout the world. Therefore, for California to have any sort of domestic influence in Trump’s America, those congressional seats need to be redrawn.

Even though states are generally constrained by the federal government, in theory, states do maintain a great level of autonomy in many areas. California’s global status and economic stature place it in a unique position to exercise this autonomy within the union. Newsom has embraced this idea of bold state power by focussing on the way California interacts on the international stage and by continuing the commitment of empowering California to be a globally cooperative climate leader - a strategy Californians overwhelmingly support . 

While Trump backs out of the Paris Climate Accords, Newsom’s top priority is meeting with international partners and creating climate deals of his own. Newsom, the only current US governor to be formally greeted by Xi Jinping, has been reinventing what it means to be a subnational leader by engaging in bilateral strategic discussions regarding climate policy with a foreign nation. Furthermore, amid Trump’s pro-tariff agenda, California is openly seeking alternative deals with nations abroad in an effort to continue their stable status as a trading partner. The state has pledged to set up trade offices overseas and continues to push partnerships with foreign nations independent from the union. Looking to the future, California needs to protect these international trade relationships and climate partnerships harmed by Trump, which inadvertently benefit the entire union. 

Strength at Home to Strength Abroad 

California is the only progressive state large enough to influence progressive foreign policy from within the union. However, to do so, the state will need to take action, as seen in recent discussions on redrawing congressional seats to be competitive against Republican gerrymandering. While relationships with foreign leaders are imperative, California’s greatest contribution to international diplomacy comes from supporting global stability from within the United States, and to do so, they need their fair share of seats. The greatest bargaining chip to achieve actual policy success globally is for California to continue moving forward with progressive policy action even if Washington seeks to regress. 

In order for California to maintain its influence in the world as a beacon of progressive ideas and innovation, the state needs to realise that it is already an American leader, both domestically and internationally. California is not just any other state within the union and should focus on bolstering its position nationally in order to ensure that it can continue to work with international partners. The task at hand is to protect its global outreach, and more importantly, amplify it.

Rebecca Kuiters is the United States Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. Bec is currently completing her Honours in Psychology at the University of Queensland, with a research focus in social psychology and ethics. Raised across several countries, including Qatar and China, Bec spent most of her formative years in Houston, Texas.

This global upbringing sparked a strong interest in American politics and shaped a nuanced perspective on the United States' role in global affairs. Having grown up during a time of deep division and political polarisation, she brings a thoughtful, layered lens to conversations around American domestic and foreign policy. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Young Australians in International Affairs. All content is original, and no plagiarism has been used in the preparation of this article.