POL SCI 10
Introduction to Political Theory
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Exposition and analysis of selected political theorists and concepts from Plato to the present. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Summer 2015 - Professor Branstetter is one of the best professors I have ever had. I am so lucky I got to take this course in the summer because of the intimate setting. You can tell he is truly passionate about his work. I know that someday he is going to be a great lecturer. The class is very interesting and he makes theory fun while engaging in conversation with the class. You can succeed in this class as long as you go to lectures. Literally, everything he lectures about is on the tests. If you get the chance to take him, I highly recommend that you do!
Summer 2015 - Professor Branstetter is one of the best professors I have ever had. I am so lucky I got to take this course in the summer because of the intimate setting. You can tell he is truly passionate about his work. I know that someday he is going to be a great lecturer. The class is very interesting and he makes theory fun while engaging in conversation with the class. You can succeed in this class as long as you go to lectures. Literally, everything he lectures about is on the tests. If you get the chance to take him, I highly recommend that you do!
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2022 - The professor was okay, to be honest. Not the best professor and not the worst, I found the lectures and readings to be really boring. I found it easy to pass the class not by watching lectures but by watching youtube videos breaking down the readings and main concepts, with that I was able to get Bs or As on the weekly 500 word papers. I also want to give a shoutout to Naomi Ellis who was my TA as she was amazing and honestly one of the main reasons I even passed, she was very lenient grading, always open to asking questions about any subjects, and not super strict on tardiness or having to switch discussion times for the day. But the class and discussion did require you to have the physical copies of the books which can be pretty pricey, I got away using online formats in the discussion, but I can't speak for everyone. I found it ridiculous how for the final paper, the professor upped the word requirement from 500 to 2500 with no warning, it was hard writing 500 words already. But if you don't mind reading about philosophy from old white men, go for it.
Winter 2022 - The professor was okay, to be honest. Not the best professor and not the worst, I found the lectures and readings to be really boring. I found it easy to pass the class not by watching lectures but by watching youtube videos breaking down the readings and main concepts, with that I was able to get Bs or As on the weekly 500 word papers. I also want to give a shoutout to Naomi Ellis who was my TA as she was amazing and honestly one of the main reasons I even passed, she was very lenient grading, always open to asking questions about any subjects, and not super strict on tardiness or having to switch discussion times for the day. But the class and discussion did require you to have the physical copies of the books which can be pretty pricey, I got away using online formats in the discussion, but I can't speak for everyone. I found it ridiculous how for the final paper, the professor upped the word requirement from 500 to 2500 with no warning, it was hard writing 500 words already. But if you don't mind reading about philosophy from old white men, go for it.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2018 - This is still one of my favorite classes I have taken here. Panagia is a great lecturer (he also gets points for snazzy dressing and humor), he is really good at explaining and elaborating on the readings. This is one of the few classes where I actually felt like I got genuine extra value from going to lecture as he introduced material and made the readings so much more clear and interesting. I think the content is quite cool to learn about as well and just expands your understanding of the world. That being said, the readings can be quite dense and the assignments were sometimes difficult, but nothing that can't be overcome.
Fall 2018 - This is still one of my favorite classes I have taken here. Panagia is a great lecturer (he also gets points for snazzy dressing and humor), he is really good at explaining and elaborating on the readings. This is one of the few classes where I actually felt like I got genuine extra value from going to lecture as he introduced material and made the readings so much more clear and interesting. I think the content is quite cool to learn about as well and just expands your understanding of the world. That being said, the readings can be quite dense and the assignments were sometimes difficult, but nothing that can't be overcome.
Most Helpful Review
Took Stats 10 with him - it was his first time teaching it. His lectures were all ppt based, and though he seemed to be engaged with the class, ultimately it felt like he's just reading off the slides and not teaching the concepts. If I hadn't taken AP stats, I would not have understand most of what was presented in class. Course had weekly hw, biweekly labs, two midterms, final - there is no curve! final grade is what it is based on score on all assignments.
Took Stats 10 with him - it was his first time teaching it. His lectures were all ppt based, and though he seemed to be engaged with the class, ultimately it felt like he's just reading off the slides and not teaching the concepts. If I hadn't taken AP stats, I would not have understand most of what was presented in class. Course had weekly hw, biweekly labs, two midterms, final - there is no curve! final grade is what it is based on score on all assignments.
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Most Helpful Review
Definitely one of the worst professors I've taken at UCLA. He doesn't really care about you learning anything. I've attended every single lecture, took extensive notes and he gave me a C in the class. He doesn't have the notion of positive feedback, seeing as his criticism on the essays due were: "This concept is wrong" or "Not necessarily true". In addition, when asked if I could go over the grade of the paper in detail, he replied with: "I believe that students lack the expertise and the knowledge of the subject to discuss grades with me" At the same time I was taking an upper division course, and putting in the same amount of work for each class, I received an A in the upper division course, and a C in the lower division course. How does that make sense?
Definitely one of the worst professors I've taken at UCLA. He doesn't really care about you learning anything. I've attended every single lecture, took extensive notes and he gave me a C in the class. He doesn't have the notion of positive feedback, seeing as his criticism on the essays due were: "This concept is wrong" or "Not necessarily true". In addition, when asked if I could go over the grade of the paper in detail, he replied with: "I believe that students lack the expertise and the knowledge of the subject to discuss grades with me" At the same time I was taking an upper division course, and putting in the same amount of work for each class, I received an A in the upper division course, and a C in the lower division course. How does that make sense?
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2018 - The key to happiness is found in not taking this class. First of all her lectures are all over the place and her slides are some of the most unhelpful I've ever stumbled upon. Going to class is mandatory since she has an unidentified number of pop quizzes throughout the quarter. T.As are TOUGH graders too, they don't give you that long to address a question but expect you to hit EVERY criterion PERFECTLY. I had a terrible time and I guarantee if you take it, you will too. It doesn't even matter whether what we read was interesting or not because she is so all over the place it is really not worth it. Save yourself the stress and save your GPA by not enrolling in this class.
Spring 2018 - The key to happiness is found in not taking this class. First of all her lectures are all over the place and her slides are some of the most unhelpful I've ever stumbled upon. Going to class is mandatory since she has an unidentified number of pop quizzes throughout the quarter. T.As are TOUGH graders too, they don't give you that long to address a question but expect you to hit EVERY criterion PERFECTLY. I had a terrible time and I guarantee if you take it, you will too. It doesn't even matter whether what we read was interesting or not because she is so all over the place it is really not worth it. Save yourself the stress and save your GPA by not enrolling in this class.
Most Helpful Review
Class taken: Pub Pol 10A To be perfectly honest, this guys personality just bugs the hell out of me. If I'm sticking to the criticism of the class and his teaching, the books are interesting, and the policy memos are graded difficultly but actually teach you a valuable skill. I cannot say the same about the rest of the class. I usually went (just because I had class right before and after) but spent the entire time on bbc or cnn. Because after a half hour explanation of what inflation is, I figured out that everything you need to know can be learned from high school econ and you know, not living in a cave. Stoll's just smug, and assumes a great level of idiocy in his students. Except on the policy memos, where he expects you to be perfect... Don't let it keep you away from the minor though, once you start picking your own classes its good!
Class taken: Pub Pol 10A To be perfectly honest, this guys personality just bugs the hell out of me. If I'm sticking to the criticism of the class and his teaching, the books are interesting, and the policy memos are graded difficultly but actually teach you a valuable skill. I cannot say the same about the rest of the class. I usually went (just because I had class right before and after) but spent the entire time on bbc or cnn. Because after a half hour explanation of what inflation is, I figured out that everything you need to know can be learned from high school econ and you know, not living in a cave. Stoll's just smug, and assumes a great level of idiocy in his students. Except on the policy memos, where he expects you to be perfect... Don't let it keep you away from the minor though, once you start picking your own classes its good!
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