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
Fall 2025 - Professor John (as he likes to be called) is obviously very passionate about the material. That being said, he assigns a LOT of reading. However... I did not do any of it. You just need to have a basic concept of it (like a 3-4 paragraph summary), and if you do you can easily follow along in lectures. TAKE NOTES. Tie what you learned in the lecture into your paper and you'll get a 100%. The class consists of a weekly essay, 1-2 pages single-spaced. If you are not doing the readings, know a summary and go to lectures, and tie those notes into your paper. If you are doing the readings, tie what you learned into your paper and only go to lecture if you feel like it. You can submit your essay up as many times as you want to get a 100%, and it being said that these papers are the only things you do in the class, it is very easy to get an A+. Discussion sections are obviously mandatory and if you weren't feeling like going to lecture, the section often covers similar material you can use in your paper. No midterm and no final. This class is very low stress if you avoid the readings... however, if you are not going to lecture and not doing the readings at the same time, it may be very time consuming and stressful to research enough to make your paper sound good. So either do one or the other and this class will be a breeze. I really enjoyed it and Professor John offers two opportunities throughout the week to connect about the material or honestly anything else. If you are really passionate about Political Science and not just looking for an easy GE, definitely show up to office hours. Professor John is amazing and I highly recommend this class.
Fall 2025 - Professor John (as he likes to be called) is obviously very passionate about the material. That being said, he assigns a LOT of reading. However... I did not do any of it. You just need to have a basic concept of it (like a 3-4 paragraph summary), and if you do you can easily follow along in lectures. TAKE NOTES. Tie what you learned in the lecture into your paper and you'll get a 100%. The class consists of a weekly essay, 1-2 pages single-spaced. If you are not doing the readings, know a summary and go to lectures, and tie those notes into your paper. If you are doing the readings, tie what you learned into your paper and only go to lecture if you feel like it. You can submit your essay up as many times as you want to get a 100%, and it being said that these papers are the only things you do in the class, it is very easy to get an A+. Discussion sections are obviously mandatory and if you weren't feeling like going to lecture, the section often covers similar material you can use in your paper. No midterm and no final. This class is very low stress if you avoid the readings... however, if you are not going to lecture and not doing the readings at the same time, it may be very time consuming and stressful to research enough to make your paper sound good. So either do one or the other and this class will be a breeze. I really enjoyed it and Professor John offers two opportunities throughout the week to connect about the material or honestly anything else. If you are really passionate about Political Science and not just looking for an easy GE, definitely show up to office hours. Professor John is amazing and I highly recommend this class.
Most Helpful Review
Summer 2025 - You don't really need to do any of the readings in this class, especially if you are a bit familiar with the philosophers or political scientists beforehand. The midterm and final are both essays that feel fairly easy to complete based on all of the lectures. The class is not very hard and I found it interesting!
Summer 2025 - You don't really need to do any of the readings in this class, especially if you are a bit familiar with the philosophers or political scientists beforehand. The midterm and final are both essays that feel fairly easy to complete based on all of the lectures. The class is not very hard and I found it interesting!
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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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