I really enjoyed this class! Tausanovitch isn't the most engaging lecturer, but the topics he covered were super interesting and you can tell he is very knowledgable about what he's talking about. Although a lot of info from the first half of class was a repeat of AP US Gov, I liked how in the second half of the class he went into different topics like voter participation, public opinion, campaigning, and political polarization, and I enjoyed how he incorporated real-world examples. Grading scheme consisted of a midterm and final exam in person, one paper, and participation in weekly discussion. Each exam had 5 multiple choice questions, 3 definition/term questions, 3-4 short answer questions, and one essay question. Exams themselves were very fair and you will do well if you paid attention in class and understand the concepts. He gives a list of all the possible terms for the definition part, so if you study those then you will likely do well on the entire exam, because all the terms relate to key concepts. I had Jessica as a TA and she was great at clarifying points made in lecture. Overall, the class is pretty easy if you put in minimal effort, and I would take a class with him again.

Not a bad class to take at all if you want to satisfy either your pre-political science major requirement or GE requirement, especially if you have interest and some knowledge about American politics. Professor Tausanovitch is also a straightforward and clear lecturer. He uses slides and is pretty passionate about what he teaches. In terms of grading, there were: Discussion Participation 20%, Midterm 20%, One Paper 20%, and Final 40%. I took AP Gov back in high school so I got through the class without doing any of the weekly readings alright. Midterms and finals were mix of multiple choices, short answers, and one long essay.

Professor Tausanovitch is great, he posts his lecture slides on BruinLearn alongside his recordings of class. This class is very interesting and informative for any Poli Sci majors or anyone who simply wants to learn more about American politics and government.
If you have taken AP US Government it will make this class substantially easier as it is almost identical but simply digs deeper into certain topics. In general this class was not difficult, there are weekly readings with weekly quizzes in the attendance mandatory discussions. Besides this there is only one essay which is not due until late November.
The midterm and final for this class is analytically heavy, it takes critical thinking alongside knowledge to pass, simply studying the lecture slides is not enough as the test asks you to apply your knowledge of American politics in different ways. The midterm is made up of a short MCQ, identification, SAQ, and timed essay, the final is just the same except with a few more questions.
I highly enjoyed this class and believe it is great for anyone who can put in a little more work to apply what you learn in a more critical way.

Professor Tausanovitch is very knowledgable and qualified and it is evident in his lectures. His slides are really basic and simple but he is a very interesting lecturer to me. The course exams are very well organized and he has a study guide for the midterm that helped me prepare.

Do not take this class. Midterm and final are trash. Please take something else

Grade Distribution:
Participation: 10%
Midterm: 25%
Take-Home Essay: 20%
Final: 45%
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If you have ever taken AP Government this class should be a breeze for you. Dr. Tausanovitch isn't the most engaging lecturer but his slides are always organized and easy to write down. I didn't do any of the readings for this class (including the textbook) and I was fine. I was also very lucky to have Berdan as my TA who was very understanding about participation. The take-home essay was around 5 pages and about why Congress has limited productivity. Make sure to talk to your TA about your essay as it really helps your score. The midterm and final were also pretty easy, with the final being a longer version of the midterm. They both have a few multiple choice questions, identification questions, short answer questions, and one essay question. Overall, if you are a political science major and need an easy pre-requisite I would recommend this class.
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GEs fulfilled by this class:
Foundations of Society and Culture: Social Analysis

not the most interesting class because it was mostly a repeat of ap gov, BUT easy nonetheless. even if you do not have a background, you can get by with an A+. my intnl friend was so scared of failing that she P/NP the class, but she got a 98%. Prof is very well-structured, midterm and finals are always the same layout and the study guides are fairly helpful. There is also a paper that is easily graded as well, dependent on your TA. Sections are so very helpful, again depending on your TA and mine was pretty great. very easy for poli sci majors and for a ge.

I took this class as a major prereq and liked it! I didn’t think I was interested in American politics until taking this, but Tausanovitch really makes the content interesting. He’s an amazing lecturer who does a great job explaining the topics and communicating about the course. The midterm and paper were relatively easy, but I will say the final was really hard, probably the hardest final I’ve taken in my first two years of college. I would recommend this class specifically with this professor! He is very approachable and a great teacher, one of the best I’ve had at UCLA.

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