All states value their distinct approaches to policy and to life and the U.S. Constitution embeds the idea of state rights and responsibilities as a core principle in the federal system. California arguably takes this further than most. This paper provides a new way to think about how national policies might complicate or augment the next state administration's efforts to actualize the California Way in education. Reflecting on a question like this, the most immediate tendency is to think about federal policies that are specific to education and with direct effects on state education. An example would be a change in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) funding that would reduce or increase state spending power or flexibility. While education policies with direct impacts on state education are important, however, they are not necessarily the only or even the most important kind of federal action to consider. The authors offer a typology that distinguishes between national policies that can have direct versus indirect effects and between education-specific national policies and more general policies. They illustrate these with specific examples of federal policies that are already in place or that are realistic possibilities based on their active consideration by the White House, Department of Education, Congress, or the Supreme Court. Where feasible, the authors make an effort to assess the scale of the possible impact although their primary purpose to illustrate the kinds of things that might happen rather than to predict future federal actions or fully map the consequences for California. An important implication of the analysis is that it underscores the key role of the governor as the general purpose official in best position to coordinate cross-sector policies within the state, and to negotiate critical political relationships inside and outside of the state. The authors conclude with a discussion of alternative strategies the next governor might consider in order to maximize the maneuvering room and support needed to improve education the California Way.