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Caltech Course Catalog / 2026-2027 Catalog / Courses 2026-27 / Department / PS

Courses 2026-27: Political Science

PS 12

Introduction to Political Science

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second, third terms

Introduction to the tools and concepts of analytical political science. Subject matter is primarily American political processes and institutions. Topics: spatial models of voting, redistributive voting, games, presidential campaign strategy, Congress, congressional-bureaucratic relations, and coverage of political issues by the mass media.

Instructors: Hirsch, Kiewiet
PS 97

Undergraduate Research

Units to be arranged   |  any term
Prerequisites: advanced political science and instructor's permission.

This course offers advanced undergraduates the opportunity to pursue research in political science individually or in a small group. Graded pass/fail.

PS 101

Selected Topics in Political Science

Units to be determined by arrangement with the instructor   |  offered by announcement
Instructor: Staff
PS 120 w

American Electoral Behavior and Party Strategy

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term
A consideration of existing literature on the voting behavior of the citizen, and an examination of theoretical and empirical views of the strategies followed by the parties. Two substantial papers are expected of students. Not offered 2026-27.
PS 122

Political Representation

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term
Prerequisites: PS 12.

Why does the U.S. Constitution feature separation of powers and protect states' rights? Should the Senate have a filibuster? When can Congress agree on the best policy for the country (and what does "best" even mean)? This course uses a rigorous set of tools including game theory and social choice to help students understand the effectiveness of American democracy to represent diverse interests. Using the tools, we study U.S. electoral systems, Congress, federalism, and the courts, with a focus on understanding how the country has tried to overcome the challenges of group decision making and the inevitable conflicts that arise between the branches of government and divided political interests. Students will leave the course with a deeper understanding of how rules and strategy shape U.S. democracy. Not offered 2026-27.

PS 123 w

Regulation and Politics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term
Prerequisites: PS 12.
This course will examine the historical origins of several regulatory agencies and trace their development over the past century or so. It will also investigate a number of current issues in regulatory politics, including the great discrepancies that exist in the cost-effectiveness of different regulations, and the advent of more market-based approaches to regulations instead of traditional "command-and-control." Not offered on a pass/fail basis.
Instructor: Kiewiet
Ec/PS 124

Identification Problems in the Social Sciences

9 units (3- 0-6)   |  second term
Prerequisites: Ec 122.

Statistical inference in the social sciences is a difficult enterprise whereby we combine data and assumptions to draw conclusions about the world we live in. We then make decisions, for better or for worse, based on these conclusions. A simultaneously intoxicating and sobering thought! Strong assumptions about the data generating process can lead to strong but often less than credible (perhaps incredible?) conclusions about our world. Weaker assumptions can lead to weaker but more credible conclusions. This course explores the range of inferences that are possible when we entertain a range of assumptions about how data is generated. We explore these ideas in the context of a number of applications of interest to social scientists.

Instructor: Sherman
PS 125

Analyzing Political Conflict and Violence

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term

This course examines the causes of and solutions for conflict and violence: Why do wars occur and how do we stop them? We cover topics such as terrorism, ethnic violence, civil wars, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, repression, revolutions, and inter-state wars. We study these phenomena using the rational choice framework and modern tools in data analysis. The goals of the class are to explain conflicts and their terminations as outcomes of strategic decision-making and to understand the empirical strengths and weakness of current explanations. Not offered 2026-27.

Instructor: Gibilisco
IDS/Ec/PS 126

Applied Data Analysis

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first term
Prerequisites: Ma 3/103 or ACM/EE/IDS 116, Ec 122 or IDS/ACM/CS 157 or Ma 112 a.

Fundamentally, this course is about making arguments with numbers and data. Data analysis for its own sake is often quite boring, but becomes crucial when it supports claims about the world. A convincing data analysis starts with the collection and cleaning of data, a thoughtful and reproducible statistical analysis of it, and the graphical presentation of the results. This course will provide students with the necessary practical skills, chiefly revolving around statistical computing, to conduct their own data analysis. This course is not an introduction to statistics or computer science. I assume that students are familiar with at least basic probability and statistical concepts up to and including regression. Not offered 2026-27.

Instructor: Katz
PS/Ec 128

Introduction to Public Health Economics and Policy

9 units (3-0-6)   |  third term

This course will cover the basic concepts and principles of health economics and challenges in health policy implementation. By studying this course, students will establish economic thinking and be able to flexibly use economic methods to analyze practical problems in the field of health care. Students will also learn about the application of machine learning in public health. This course combines theory and methodology. The teaching goal focuses on students' ability to analyze and solve practical problems. Interactive teaching is done through group discussions and topic debates around case studies. Each chapter consists of a theory and case analysis. The case discussion will focus on basic theories and methods and highlight the hot issues in the current medical and health system. The exam will be an open-book exam, with class discussions accounting for 40%, and the final exam accounting for 60%. Not offered 2026-27.

PS 129 w

American Parties, Partisanship, and Polarization

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term
Partisan polarization has been at the forefront of American politics for years. Its negative social effects seem clear, and many voters and political elites appear to agree that unchecked partisan polarization causes harm to our democratic institutions. However, it also feels like these social divisions are not on track to improve anytime soon. If most people agree that Republicans and Democrats just need to get along, then why are we still so divided by partisanship? Why did this divide emerge in the first place? And if polarization is a defining problem of American politics today, then what can be done to alleviate or at least mitigate its effects? This course will explore these questions by discussing relevant literature on American political parties, voter partisanship, and partisan polarization. By the end of the course, students will have an improved understanding of American partisanship and how it impacts many of today's most pressing policy issues.
Instructor: Centeno
PS 132

Formal Theories of Politics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term
Prerequisites: PS 12 and PS/Ec 172.

Introduces students to some of the central formal models used in modern political economy. The course examines formal approaches to negotiation, legislative politics, electoral competition, war, and revolution. Its broader aim is to show how formal theory can simplify complex political situations, identify key mechanisms, and sharpen causal arguments. By the end of the course, students will be able to use a formal model to analyze a real-world political setting and conduct original theoretical research.

Instructor: Gibilisco
PS 139

Comparative Politics

9 units (3-0-6)   |  second term
Prerequisites: PS 12.

This course offers a broad introduction to the theoretical and empirical research in comparative political economy. An emphasis will be placed on the parallel process of political and economic development and its consequences on current democratic political institutions such as: electoral rules, party systems, parliamentary versus presidential governments, legislatures, judicial systems, and bureaucratic agencies as exemplified in central bank politics. We will study the differential impact of these political institutions on the type of policies they implement and the economic outcomes they produce. The main objective of the course will be to assess the robustness of the analyzed theories in light of their empirical support, coming mainly from statistical analysis. Not offered 2026-27.

Instructor: Staff
PS 141 abw

A History of Budgetary Politics in the United States

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first, third terms
This class will examine budgetary conflict at key junctures in U.S. history. Topics include the struggle to establish a viable fiscal system in the early days of the Republic, the ante bellum tariff, the "pension politics" of the post-Civil War era, the growth of the American welfare state, and the battle over tax and entitlement reform in the 1980s and 1990s.
Instructor: Kiewiet
PS/Ec 172

Game Theory

9 units (3-0-6)   |  first term
Prerequisites: Ec 11 or PS 12 and one from the following list: ACM/EE/IDS 116, CMS/ACM 117, Ma 3, or Ma/ACM/IDS 140 ab.

This course is an introduction to non-cooperative game theory, with applications to political science and economics. It covers the theories of normal-form games and extensive-form games, and introduces solutions concepts that are relevant for situations of complete and incomplete information. The basic theory of repeated games is introduced. Applications are to auction theory and asymmetric information in trading models, cheap talk and voting rules in congress, among many others.

Instructor: Tamuz
Published Date: Aug. 19, 2026