For the last thirty-five years, state-level elections, governments, and struggles have been the building block for the right-wing, white-nationalist power grab that has become Trump and Trumpism. States in most cases dominate local governments through “preemption” laws that preempt or overturn attempts at home rule or in some states through the Dillon Rule, which reserves all power to the state. Most states control significant budgets while local budgets in all but the largest cities are too small for large-scale change.

Importantly, states draw the lines for congressional seats. In states from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, Republican control of redistricting has resulted in the flipping of dozens of seats over the last decade; particularly egregious examples of this are included in David Daley’s Ratf**cked: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count. State power is critically important by itself, and it is reflected and magnified at the national or federal electoral level.

Power, particularly power within different scales of government, is fluid. Capital and its minions can and often do move swiftly to shift power when working people, people of color, and radical popular initiatives take control. For example, New York City power was subverted until recently by state-level government which limited rent control. At other times, national initiatives (such as Obamacare) are challenged and restricted by states’ rights. Further back, Progressive-era movements for municipal improvements — labeled “sewer socialism” — were stymied as they fought for more transformative change. Or look at Trump’s creative (and destructive) usurpation of federal executive power via tariffs, declared emergencies, and the arbitrary physical relocation of entire federal departments.