Sam Trachtman reflects on the BESI panel event he moderated back last month.
Sam Trachtman is a senior researcher at BESI, where he leads the research program on the political economy of California. Sam completed his Ph.D. in political science in 2021 at UC Berkeley, where he honed skills in quantitative methods and policy-engaged empirical research. He has published widely in academic journals including American Political Science Review, Climatic Change, Governance, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Nature Energy, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Perspectives on Politics.
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BESI senior researcher Samuel Trachtman shares his top three takeaways from a recent panel discussion featuring California political scholars and practitioners.
On November 13, BESI convened 26 experts on California politics and policy to discuss how to make California more affordable.
Recent publications
White Paper
June 18, 2026
To address its unaffordability problem, California must reform regressive regulations. Time and time again the state has pursued progressive goals through policies that raise the cost of essentials — hitting low-income residents hardest. This regressively funded progressivism is a major driver of California's high cost of living. Part 3 of our white paper series explores how these costly and often ineffective regulations work and offers a path toward durable reform.
White Paper
May 14, 2026
The primary driver of California’s unaffordability and poverty is our high cost of living. And the foremost driver of high costs in California is a policy regime that makes it difficult to build the physical infrastructure we need to deliver essentials, particularly housing. Part 2 of our white paper series on making California more affordable explains the origins of growth restrictions in California, explores the implications of those restrictions, analyzes the politics of pro-growth policies, and offers a path forward to achieve sustainable growth.
White Paper
March 12, 2026
California is less affordable and poorer than it should be given the strength of our economy. Part 1 of our white paper series on making California more affordable presents the basic facts on California’s unaffordability problem. Most strikingly, California’s high costs and insufficient incomes give California the highest poverty rate in the country when accounting for cost of living.