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.
Logistics of Enrolling and Entering Section Preferences:
In Spring 2026, Gov 97 will meet on Mondays, 3-5pm, and Tuesdays, 9:45-11:45am. Students will be sectioned to one of those time blocks based on their preferences, so please make sure you plan your schedule to be free during at least one of those times (preferably both).
Students who registered for Gov 97 during preterm registration in November 2025 will receive a Qualtrics survey in January to indicate their sectioning preferences. Students who missed preterm registration but plan to add Gov 97 during the open add/drop period should email undergrad@gov.harvard.edu as soon as possible to request to enter the section lottery. Students will be notified of their section assignments in mid-January.
The section offerings for Spring 2026 are listed below.
Click here for fuller descriptions of the topics offered in Spring 2026.
| Section | Topic | Instructor | Day | Time |
| 001 | The Class–Identity Nexus: Rethinking Inequality in America and Beyond | Marco Avina | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 002 | The Politics of War | John Koo | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 003 | The Politics of War | John Koo | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 004 | The Political Economy of Cities and Urbanization | Jeeyoung Lee | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 005 | Parties in the United States | Hayley Manges | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 006 | Parties in the United States | Hayley Manges | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 007 | Parties and Campaigns in the Digital Age | Joaquim Meira | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 008 | Policing, Incarceration, and the Carceral Bureaucracy in America | Kiran Misra | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 009 | Policing, Incarceration, and the Carceral Bureaucracy in America | Kiran Misra | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 010 | Social Influences on Political Behavior | Sun Young Park | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 011 | Social Influences on Political Behavior | Sun Young Park | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 012 | Rural Politics in Advanced Capitalist Democracies | Adrian Scheibler | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 013 | Rural Politics in Advanced Capitalist Democracies | Adrian Scheibler | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 014 | The Global Politics of Health | Rochelle Sun | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 015 | The Global Politics of Health | Rochelle Sun | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 016 | Where Public Meets Private: The Strained Boundaries of America’s Legal Order | Jacob Waggoner | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 017 | Where Public Meets Private: The Strained Boundaries of America’s Legal Order | Jacob Waggoner | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 018 | Executive Agency Policymaking | Noah Shenker | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |
| 019 | Barriers to Peace: Organized Violence as an Obstacle to Development | Maria Ballesteros | M | 3:00-5:00 p.m. |
| 020 | Barriers to Peace: Organized Violence as an Obstacle to Development | Maria Ballesteros | Tu | 9:45-11:45 a.m. |