In The Policy Research Lab
Overview
“I had the honor of conducting scholarly research for Markos Kounalakis…My research evaluated California’s influence as a global leader in climate-forward, environmental policy with a technical focus on electricity…This project was an incredibly special learning experience because I was able to use my academic interests to contribute to practical politics.”
In Spring 2023, a policy research seminar at the University of Southern California became one of the earliest academic efforts to formally examine California as a subnational superpower.
Led by Markos Kounalakis, the course brought together undergraduate researchers to explore how California operates not merely as a U.S. state, but as a global actor shaping climate policy, trade norms, technology regulation, and international diplomacy.
Partnering with the USC Center for Political Future and the Center on Public Diplomacy, students produced original policy research assessing where California leads the world and where it falls short of its global potential.
This work helped lay the conceptual groundwork for what would become Superpower California.