West Coast World Superpower?
2025 cracked old illusions. 2026 raises a harder question.
As federal institutions crumble, can the West Coast finally unite its imagination with its power and political will?
In this anniversary episode, Pacific Time host Greg Amrofell is joined by longtime friend, frequent guest, and democracy thinker Ashley Brown to take stock of what 2025 revealed—and what 2026 demands.
Together, they reflect on a year that cracked long-held assumptions about the federal government, democratic self-correction, and incremental reform. From public banking and healthcare autonomy to democratic resilience, cultural soft power, and the limits of imagination, this episode asks a central question:
This is not a reaction episode. It’s a forward-looking reckoning with moral responsibility and historic obligation. What does national and global leadership looks like when the federal government falters?
In This Episode, We Explore
- What 2025 shattered about faith in federal governance
- Why imagination—not resources—may be the West Coast’s biggest constraint
- The West Coast as a donor region, and what autonomy could unlock
- Public banking, debt capacity, and financing big ideas
- Where West Coast leaders underestimate their collective clout—and where they overestimate it
- Why democracy may no longer be self-correcting without reform
- The stakes and opportunities heading into 2026
About the Co-Hosts
Greg Amrofell is the creator and host of Pacific Time, a podcast exploring the challenges and possibilities of West Coast leadership in a moment of national strain. A longtime technology and civic leader, Greg has lived across California and Washington and brings a systems-level lens to questions of democracy, governance, and regional power. Pacific Time launched on Inauguration Day 2025 as a space for asking bold “What if?” questions about the future of the West Coast—and the country.
Ashley Brown is a former senior marketing and strategy executive at Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, with a deep background in comparative government, election systems, and democratic design. Though not a career politician, Ashley is a long-time student of civic systems and a frequent contributor to Pacific Time, known for bridging corporate leadership, political theory, and practical reform. He brings a sharp, historically grounded perspective to questions of power, legitimacy, and democratic resilience.
Related Pacific Time Episodes
- Ep 36 – What If Economic Orthodoxy Got a Rewrite? (with David Goldstein)
- Ep 17 – What If We Could Get Wildfire Under Control? (with Hilary Franz)
- Ep 14 – Could Ambitious Civic Projects Jolt Us Back to Trusting Government? (with Nolan Lienhart)
- Ep 39 – What If Women’s Sports Have Found Their Place on the West Coast? (with Jen Barnes)
- Ep 01 – Reclaiming Democracy: The Case for West Coast Independence (Solo)
A Few Spicy Questions: If the West Coast already has power, what’s actually stopping the region from using it much more assertively?
Join the conversation: Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on Substack; YouTube; Instagram, and LinkedIn. When you like, subscribe, and share it makes a big difference to getting the word out about Pacific Time.
When you visit us online and comment on our spicy question or, better yet, ask constructive questions of your own, our hearts sing. A West Coast community that cares enough to converse and debate about its future so it can set its own course – well, that is what we’re after.
Listen: Pacific Time Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.
Thank You To:
- Many, Many Guests in 2025
- Producer: Tim Wohlberg
- Musical Inspiration: Digging into the archives here with The Lemonheads Radio
