This class was definitely easy to understand. You'll always hear that Branstetter is a nice professor, and that's because it's 100% true. While he did not offer extra credit for this course, attendance was not mandatory. He records his lectures and slides and puts them on BruinLearn. I did not attend any lectures, but I was able to pass by reading the book and skimming the lectures when it was time for a quiz.

What's there to say? Easily one of the top 5 political science classes at UCLA taught by probably the best lecturer in the department.

Prof. Branstetter deeply cares about his students and offers engaging and funny lectures that will keep you interested in the material even if you despise the topic.

The class was 7 quizzes (two of the lowest scores being dropped) that relied on very very basic understanding of lecture as well as a midterm and final that are several short answers. These can be a little tricky because there area alot of intricate details but Prof. Branstetter does a great job preparing you for them. Every lecture is recorded to make things even better with no attendance requirement.

He stresses that the book is needed and wants you to read it, however I found that simply paying close attention to lecture was all that was really needed to succeed as he does such a good job at relaying Marx's points and what is needed on the exams. Book was optional to me even if the Professor and several students may tell you it is critical.

Always available for questions and always willing to help students learn. Not much else to say but if you see this class has an open spot enroll in it right away!

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!

I took M115C with John and he is so awesome! He does require mini essays and does pop quizzes but he tries to give you warning and it wasn't bad at all! He is young and energetic and wants to see you succeed! Just go to class and participate, which is easy because he welcomes all answers and gives lots of time for discussion. For me the class was stress free and the mini essays for me were just making a quick thesis relevant to some reading we discussed and kind of rambled for a bit until I fulfilled the word requirement and supported my thesis. I got 95% or higher on all of them and an A+ in the class. John is a great guy and if you're interested in Confucius theory he is an expert! I took his citizenship class and loved it.

I took POL SCI 119 Special Studies in Political Theory: Confucian Political Theory in China and Japan with Professor Branstetter Fall 2017.
The material in the course was hard to grasp but Professor Branstetter successfully taught the material the best it could have ever been taught. It revolves around the comparison of schools of thought which is hard to learn in ten weeks. The quizzes forced us to read the material and if it were hard, he would mention there was a quiz beforehand along with hints on the quiz. I believe this class makes you think on the spot for quizzes and the tests because it makes you apply the knowledge rather than just retain it. Taking the next class with Professor Branstetter in Winter because the lectures were just that good! He also provides his ppt lectures and lecture outline notes on CCLE so you don't really have to type notes in class, just listen!

I took the Confucian Political Theory class with him, and Branstetter is an amazing professor. He clearly loved the material he was teaching, and his passion came through in every lecture. The readings were pretty dense and hard to understand, but the professor did a great job explaining them and providing clarity about the subject. I thought the exams were reasonable, and while there are a lot of pop quizzes, it's not hard to consistently get 4/5 right if you read. Overall, Branstetter is one of the best instructors in the department, and I'd highly reccomend taking a class with him if you have the chance.

i'm writing this review because i love branstetter so much and i hate that he doesn't have any reviews. he is such a great professor, incredibly knowledgable and you can tell he's passionate about what he teaches, he is so so helpful, offers so much office hours and time to talk with him and go over your papers. also the class is just 3 papers. his lectures are engaging so i didn't even mind going to class, which isn't really mandatory but really helpful when it comes to writing your papers. he is really approachable, pretty funny, and overall one of my favorite professors i've had. i'm taking 2 classes with him and i love them both.

Professor Branstetter is amazing. He is super funny and extremely intelligent. I had him for his comparative political theory class. His class consists of three papers (no exams). He does not require you to purchase textbooks as he posts the readings online. He has office hours in the sculpture garden which he records live on Facebook so students can watch and ask questions from home. He loves answering questions and is very approachable. If you are a poli sci major with an emphasis in political theory take his class!

Branstetter is my favorite professor at UCLA! I am unsure why he doesnt have a ton of reviews since he is literally the best. He is super engaging and the most helpful professor at UCLA. He truly cares about a students learning. Out of all my classes at UCLA his is the most challenging because he makes you think and question everything. He asks questions that you didn't think about and it makes you reevaluate everything. However, the challenge is what makes his class great because he is there for his students at all times. He holds sculpture gardens, talks to you before/after class, holds extra office hours. He goes above and beyond and honestly, UCLA is lucky to have him. Many professors here only care for their research and it is great knowing that Branstetter cares about teaching and his research. He talks a lot about Japan and his travels. You will not fall asleep in his class. His grading is good as well! A is obtainable but just know what you stance is on essays and you will be good!

This professor is among the best in the school. He is engaging, funny, always positive, creative and interesting, and certainly very knowledgeable. I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone.