Sam Trachtman

Sam Trachtman is a Senior Researcher at the Possibility Lab. He received his PhD in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 2021, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Consortium on the American Political Economy from 2021-2022.

Sam’s research has explored a variety of themes related to public policy and political economy in the U.S. context. Much of his recent work has focused on the political economy of decarbonization, but he has also published research studying the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

He is interested broadly in developing a public sector that can more effectively help to transform the U.S. economy to be more equitable, dynamic, and environmentally-friendly. His research has been published in the American Political Science Review, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Climatic Change, Energy Policy, Health Affairs, Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law (JHPPL), Legislative Studies Quarterly, Nature Energy, Perspectives on Politics, and Public Opinion Quarterly.

Prior to starting his academic career, Sam worked on healthcare policy as an Assistant Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, and on energy policy as a Strategy Analyst at Southern California Edison, a large electric utility.

In his non-work life, Sam loves to be outdoors and make music with friends. On the music side, he plays bluegrass-style banjo and does vocal improv. He loves to explore the beautiful bay area by bike and foot, and also play soccer and ultimate frisbee.

Areas of Responsibility

• Possibility Lab

Last updated on 09/05/2023