Podcast Summary: The Realignment, Episode 597
Guest: Michael Laskoway (Editor in Chief, States Forum Journal)
Hosts: Marshall Kozloff
Air Date: March 10, 2026
Title: Michael Laskoway: Why States Are the Real Center of American Politics
Overview
In this episode, Marshall Kozloff is joined by Michael Laskoway, Editor in Chief of the States Forum Journal, to discuss the growing significance of U.S. states as engines for political and policy innovation. The conversation explores why states, rather than the federal government, are increasingly central to addressing America's pressing problems, especially from a liberal perspective. They examine the States Forum’s mission and worldview (“the American Promise”), the limitations of current liberal narratives, and the prospects for building a more effective, collaborative ideological movement at the state level.
Key Discussion Points
1. The Case for Focusing on States
[02:50, Laskoway]:
- States as Change Engines: States offer the “best opportunity for change” in America due to their constitutional importance and current federal dysfunction.
- Underutilization on the Left: Historically, liberals have looked to the federal government for solutions, while the right has built extensive state-level infrastructure.
- States Forum's Mission: To build a network for collaboration and idea development around state power, grounded in principles drawn from the Declaration of Independence—the “American Promise.”
Quote:
“We believe that the best opportunity for change right now in America is through working in the states... The right has spent years building an infrastructure around and thinking about states. And I think we’ve too often looked to the federal government as the way to improve people's lives… We believe that the best opportunity actually lies in the states.” —Michael Laskoway [02:50]
2. Rethinking the Left’s Relationship to States
[06:32, Laskoway]:
- Lingering Federal Fixation: Liberals often see states only as tactical tools for influencing national politics or as “laboratories of democracy,” but fail to recognize their core policymaking potential.
- Historical Skepticism: A view exists that states have impeded progress (e.g., on civil rights), leading to underappreciation on the left.
- Current Shift: Growing federal dysfunction and varied state responses are pushing more liberals to engage at the state level, but this shift requires embracing regional differences and diverse policy approaches.
3. Policy Examples: States in Action
[08:53, Kozloff & Laskoway]:
- Right-Leaning Example: Mitch Daniels’ tuition freeze at Purdue University as a model of state innovation in higher education.
- Liberal/Practical Examples:
- Utilities Reform: States like New Jersey and Virginia are moving to address pressing issues like utility costs.
- Job Credentialing: Maryland ending arbitrary degree requirements for state jobs—a move also adopted by other states (e.g., Pennsylvania)—demonstrates state leadership in making labor markets fairer.
- Right to Repair: Cited essay on farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment—shows states addressing everyday, practical concerns.
Quote:
“If you could think about these ideas, the states are a really effective way of modeling and signaling and just making a change there.” —Marshall Kozloff [11:19]
(On Maryland’s degree requirement reforms)
4. The States Forum Journal: Worldview and Editorial Strategy
[15:33, Laskoway]:
- The “American Promise” as Editorial Lens: Encompasses representative democracy, effective government, fair markets, personal freedom.
- Fusionism in Editorial Policy: Welcoming of diverse center-left and left authors and perspectives, so long as ideas align with the fundamental worldview and aim to improve people's lives.
- Pragmatism Over Factionalism: Focus is on whether ideas are good, consistent with values, and practical, rather than adhering to strict ideological alignments.
Quote:
“For us, yes, the American Promise is the test... where you’re coming from initially is secondary to is this an idea that we think is consistent with the American Promise? And then is it a good idea? Right?” —Michael Laskoway [15:33]
5. State vs. Federal Lens: Lessons for Big Issues
[19:11–21:52]:
- Different Perspectives on Policy: Issues like artificial intelligence and energy look different at the state level; state leaders are more attuned to practical impacts (e.g., electricity costs, infrastructure strain from data centers) than lofty national visions of “AI human flourishing.”
- State Capacity and Democratic Processes:
- States shoulder the main responsibility for safeguarding democracy (e.g., running elections), especially amid federal inaction.
- Opportunity for state officials to rebuild trust by improving ballot counting and administrative efficiency.
Quote:
“I want a Secretary of State to be very aggressive about like speeding up ballot counting times... I genuinely sympathize in the 2000s, someone thinking like, how is this taking so long?” —Marshall Kozloff [24:16]
6. The Liberal Narrative Problem
[28:45–36:40]:
- Absence of a Compelling Liberal “Story”: Both populist right and left have strong meta-narratives, largely based on critiques of elites. Liberalism lacks such a unifying, energizing story.
- The Need for Forward-Looking Narratives:
- The liberal story shouldn’t fixate on defending the ‘90s/neoliberal status quo.
- Instead, it must respond to contemporary challenges and resonate with how people live and feel now (“The story must connect to people’s lives and what they want the future to look like.” —Laskoway [36:40])
- People are moved by stories, not just policies or technocratic arguments.
Quote:
“You have to give people a reason to believe that this story connects to their lives... That is how people think. They think in terms of story, right. I think that that to me is one of the essential ideas that, that you're, you're bringing into this conversation.” —Michael Laskoway [36:40]
7. Policy Flows from Story—Not Vice Versa
[38:36, Kozloff & Laskoway]:
- Communications Lessons: Attempts to pitch liberal ideas on formats like Joe Rogan’s podcast failed because the focus was on policy, not personal journey or narrative.
- Technocratic vs. Story-Driven Approaches: The anecdote about “stories are for children” (Derek Thompson) highlights why technocracy misses the mark with broader audiences.
Quote:
“Stories are for children. Right. And it’s a technocratic way of thinking about the world. It is not technocr. How. It’s not how people think about themselves... They think about it in terms of stories. And, and that to me is, is, I mean, it’s fundamental.” —Michael Laskoway [40:16]
8. Fusionism: Building a Durable Liberal Center
[41:08–48:33]:
- Historical Lessons: The American right only forged a functional coalition (fusionism) after decades of reconciling conflicting factions through shared economic frameworks.
- Contemporary Challenges: Unlike the New Deal era (where economic policy united disparate groups), today’s left-liberal coalition faces real economic rifts (anti-monopoly, abundance, etc.) alongside cultural disagreements.
- Progress Takes Time: Cohesive synthesis and alliance-building can’t be rushed; economic and social debates must play out organically.
Quote:
“It’s not just that it takes 30 or 40 years to get everyone in the room together and be polite and establish norms. It’s like there are... tectonic economic forces and issues that cannot just be resolved in the course of a year, period.” —Marshall Kozloff [46:43]
9. Open Call for Ideas & Final Thoughts
[49:49, Laskoway]:
- States Forum is Looking for: Essays and ideas on affordability, democracy, sustaining community, and the productive use of technology at the state level.
- Invitation to Listeners: Open to diverse, pragmatic, and actionable proposals that fit within the “American Promise.”
Quote:
“There are a host of issues... affordability... democracy... sustaining community... technology... So those are things that we're thinking about, but we're open, quite frankly, I'm open to lots of ideas.” —Michael Laskoway [49:49]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- “The right has spent years building infrastructure around and thinking about states. And I think we've too often looked to the federal government...” —Michael Laskoway [02:50]
- “If you could think about these ideas, the states are a really effective way of modeling and signaling and just making a change there.” —Marshall Kozloff [11:19]
- “Stories are for children.” —(Cited critique of technocracy by Derek Thompson at an event, discussed [40:16])
- “If your test ultimately, is this an idea that's going to make people's lives better, Better, you know, that's a pretty good fusion test.” —Michael Laskoway [49:25]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:50] – States Forum’s mission & the “Fourth Branch” thesis
- [06:32] – Left-liberalism’s historical relationship to state power
- [10:03] – Examples of liberal state leadership (utilities, labor markets, right to repair)
- [15:33] – States Forum’s editorial worldview & fusionism
- [21:52] – Federal vs. state action on AI, energy, and democracy
- [28:45] – The problem of liberalism’s missing meta-narrative
- [36:40] – Stories as essential to motivating liberal politics
- [41:08] – Building coalition/fusionism across ideological lines
- [49:49] – Call for submissions: What ideas does States Forum want?
Key Takeaways
- States are Ascendant: Federal gridlock is spurring liberals and centrists to “rediscover” states as arenas for real policy action.
- Worldview Before Faction: A clear, shared philosophical framework (the “American Promise”) expands coalition-building possibilities beyond left-right splits.
- Narrative is Essential: Liberals need a compelling, forward-looking story that tangibly connects to ordinary lives—not just policy blueprints or elite defenses.
- Building Coalitions Takes Time: The path to a unified, effective center-left coalition will likely follow a generational, iterative process, just as it did on the right.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of American liberalism, state vs. federal power, and how progressives might build a compelling new narrative—and coalition—for the years ahead.