Gov 97: The Sophomore Tutorial in Government

Student writing in Notebook

The Government Sophomore Tutorial takes an innovative approach to introducing sophomores to research in political science. Students choose a topic of interest while building on a common curriculum of learning how to write a research prospectus. The tentative topics for Spring 2024 are listed below.

Sophomores (and other Government concentrators who haven’t yet taken Gov 97) should register for the course on my.harvard during the spring registration period (November 1-15 2023). In Spring 2024, Gov 97 will meet on Mondays, 12-2 pm, and Tuesdays, 12-2pm. Students will be sectioned to one of those time blocks based on their preference. All Gov 97 seminar topics (tentative titles listed below) will be available on either day. Students who register for Gov 97 in my.harvard will receive further information later in the fall.

Tentative Topics for Gov 97 in Spring 2024:

  • “The Politics of Forgiveness and Forgetting”
  • “Social Influences on Political Behavior” 
  • “Comparative Politics of Central America”  
  • “Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories in American Politics” 
  • “Executive Branch Policymaking”
  • “Redistricting and Elections” 
  • “Pain in Politics: Understanding Suffering, Oppression, and Political Solutions” 
  • “Political Culture and Development” 
  • “The Politics of Opportunity: Education, Housing, Credit, and Inequality in Democracies”  
  • “Race, Place, and the Law” 
  • “How We Fight”