They change your national stats slightly. They have no other effect (for example, if you get an issue with an option that outlaws abortion, you can still pick that option even though the WA has guaranteed a right to abortion on demand).
If you go into the GA forum and brag about it, however, you will be shunned and ignored. But that's an RP convention, not a technical state of affairs.
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Detached military expedition of Sierra Lyricalia Admiral, Huey P. Newton Squadron ⟨ Красный Флот ⟩ {The Red Fleet} "Crowned heads, wealth and privilege may well tremble should ever again the Black and Red unite..."