ALEXANDER SAHN

PhD Candidate in Political Science
UC Berkeley

My research seeks to understand and reduce inequalities in representation and political economy. Some of this work is forthcoming in the American Political Science Review.

My dissertation provides new explanations for the origins and maintenance of land use policies responsible for the housing affordability crisis in the United States.

RESEARCH

WHY IS HOUSING UNAFFORABLE? THE GREAT MIGRATION'S EFFECT ON

EXCLUSIONARY ZONING (JOB MARKET PAPER)

The Great Migration caused cities to adopt exclusionary zoning, leading to more unaffordable housing today.

RACE AND REPRESENTATION IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE (WITH JAKE GRUMBACH)

(FORTHCOMING AT THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW)

Campaign finance is more racially unequal than voter turnout or Congressional representation, but the nomination of candidates of color can close this gap.

GENDER, RACE, AND INTERSECTIONALITY IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE (WITH JAKE GRUMBACH AND SARAH STASZAK) Invited to Revise and Resubmit

Co-ethnic contributing behavior dominates co-gendered contributing with no evidence of intersectionality.

FAUX-RESPONSIVENESS AND ELECTION CYCLES IN THE PERMITTING OF HOUSING

Cities permit less housing before elections when mayors are running for re-election, especially when homeowners dominate.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LOBBYING IN PUBLIC MEETINGS: EVIDENCE FROM SAN FRANCISCO

Attendees of public meetings (older homeowners) get the outcomes they want (slowing and blocking affordable housing).

ACHIEVING STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WITH COVARIATES AND WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY (WITH GABE LENZ) Invited to Revise and Resubmit

A large portion of observational studies would not meet statistical significance without undisclosed covariate adjustment.

SCOPE CONDITIONS, NUMERACY, AND THE EVALUATION OF POLICY (WITH AMY LERMAN AND LAURA STOKER)

Gain-loss framing has little effect on problems and policy solutions, which have bipartisan support.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

TEACHING

PS1: Introduction to Political Science: Graduate Student Instructor for Paul Pierson (Spring 2017)
PS1: Introduction to Political Science: Graduate Student Instructor for Rob van Houweling (Fall 2017)

MENTORSHIP

Berkeley D-Lab: Senior Fellow (2018-)
Student Mentoring and Research Teams: Mentor (2017)
Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program: Mentor (2017)

TUTORING

Political Science Graduate Methods Tutor (2016-)
Berkeley D-Lab Research Consultant (2017-)

CONTACT

210 Barrows Hall
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720