Professor
Sasha Issenberg
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2019 - PS 149 is an okay class, even though the subject material: Presidential elections seems very intresting. The class covers the 1948, 1964, 1972, 1984, 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections. However it is important to note that the class covers the material from a journalistic lens rather than a poli sci or historical view. Lecture was more like a giant "discussion" where Sasha would make some leading statements and members of the class would talk about the readings and events. Since partcipation does not matter class became boring affairs where six people dominated the class. After Week 2, a vast majorty of the class stopped showing up. The class grade was based on a couple of assignments: 10% 2 Short Assignments These assignments were easy but tedious because they were thrown at the begining of class and involved analyzing and researching articles that Sasha posted, and writing a short paragraph for each. However the number of articles was over dozen, and the first one was due on the second class meeting. The assignments were graded leniently and were given full credit if the instructions were followed. 25% Discussion Forum The easiest part of the class was the weekly disucssions (all ten weeks) on CCLE which depending on the week and your last name you either had to respond or post something that occured recently in politics that related to the 2016 election. It is important to note that the response group needed to allude to one reading from the week to get full credit. However Sasha was also lenient on ther grading for these assignments. 30% (10% each) Essays Throughout the quarter there are three larger written assignments each with different prompts and approaches. One asked to explore Barry Goldwater's loss and how susbquent events have changed or not the view towards his landslide loss against LBJ. The second one asked to exmaine and analyze the GOP 2012 Autopsy and argue if it was effective or not. The last one was unqiue as it was bacially writing an essay prompt for a future essay assignment for a future redition of the course. The essays were easy but the grading was very vague, and felt like grades were given at random. 35% Final Research Paper (12-15 Pages) The final research paper given during week 7/8 had us pick a democratic candidate from the 2020 field and have us analyize how their candidacy tries to reflect or reject the narrative outcome of the 2016 election among a variety of factors. Even thouugh Sasha said the paper would require immense research, it was not that hard to write if you are familiar with American politcs. Also Sasha gave extra credit if you picked a candidate that nobody else picked. Overall the class was not terrible but it was not extraordinary because it felt as if we were learning more about journalism rather than how the American electorate and poltical parties have metamorphized and deplpyed different stratgies in the last 50 yrs. The only redeeming qualities of the class is connections Sasha has because he brought great guest speakers who brought great insight about the world of politics.
Spring 2019 - PS 149 is an okay class, even though the subject material: Presidential elections seems very intresting. The class covers the 1948, 1964, 1972, 1984, 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections. However it is important to note that the class covers the material from a journalistic lens rather than a poli sci or historical view. Lecture was more like a giant "discussion" where Sasha would make some leading statements and members of the class would talk about the readings and events. Since partcipation does not matter class became boring affairs where six people dominated the class. After Week 2, a vast majorty of the class stopped showing up. The class grade was based on a couple of assignments: 10% 2 Short Assignments These assignments were easy but tedious because they were thrown at the begining of class and involved analyzing and researching articles that Sasha posted, and writing a short paragraph for each. However the number of articles was over dozen, and the first one was due on the second class meeting. The assignments were graded leniently and were given full credit if the instructions were followed. 25% Discussion Forum The easiest part of the class was the weekly disucssions (all ten weeks) on CCLE which depending on the week and your last name you either had to respond or post something that occured recently in politics that related to the 2016 election. It is important to note that the response group needed to allude to one reading from the week to get full credit. However Sasha was also lenient on ther grading for these assignments. 30% (10% each) Essays Throughout the quarter there are three larger written assignments each with different prompts and approaches. One asked to explore Barry Goldwater's loss and how susbquent events have changed or not the view towards his landslide loss against LBJ. The second one asked to exmaine and analyze the GOP 2012 Autopsy and argue if it was effective or not. The last one was unqiue as it was bacially writing an essay prompt for a future essay assignment for a future redition of the course. The essays were easy but the grading was very vague, and felt like grades were given at random. 35% Final Research Paper (12-15 Pages) The final research paper given during week 7/8 had us pick a democratic candidate from the 2020 field and have us analyize how their candidacy tries to reflect or reject the narrative outcome of the 2016 election among a variety of factors. Even thouugh Sasha said the paper would require immense research, it was not that hard to write if you are familiar with American politcs. Also Sasha gave extra credit if you picked a candidate that nobody else picked. Overall the class was not terrible but it was not extraordinary because it felt as if we were learning more about journalism rather than how the American electorate and poltical parties have metamorphized and deplpyed different stratgies in the last 50 yrs. The only redeeming qualities of the class is connections Sasha has because he brought great guest speakers who brought great insight about the world of politics.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2023 - This class wasn't at all what I was expecting when I enrolled in it. I did read reviews prior but didn't understand how his journalistic perspective or outlook could actually shape the class. There was a ton of reading, much of which had nothing to do with the four writing assignments throughout the quarter. The quantity of readings per class was excessive, but if you like participating in a small class discussion then doing them may be helpful. He does not lecture, and that was something difficult to overcome because I personally love taking notes and learn better through lectures with slides rather than through the views and opinions on what my classmates thought about the reading for the entire class period. The grading for the assignments fluctuates and is really unpredictable, especially because he grades on creativity and accuracy which seems difficult to balance perfectly. Guest speakers were a highlight of this class, and the fact that he is an accomplished journalist himself. Maybe this course just wasn't my cup of tea because I prefer a more struct academic environment and look to lectures to provide more structure. I was initially very interested in this topic before this course, but the more American government courses I seem to take here, the more I regret my major.
Spring 2023 - This class wasn't at all what I was expecting when I enrolled in it. I did read reviews prior but didn't understand how his journalistic perspective or outlook could actually shape the class. There was a ton of reading, much of which had nothing to do with the four writing assignments throughout the quarter. The quantity of readings per class was excessive, but if you like participating in a small class discussion then doing them may be helpful. He does not lecture, and that was something difficult to overcome because I personally love taking notes and learn better through lectures with slides rather than through the views and opinions on what my classmates thought about the reading for the entire class period. The grading for the assignments fluctuates and is really unpredictable, especially because he grades on creativity and accuracy which seems difficult to balance perfectly. Guest speakers were a highlight of this class, and the fact that he is an accomplished journalist himself. Maybe this course just wasn't my cup of tea because I prefer a more struct academic environment and look to lectures to provide more structure. I was initially very interested in this topic before this course, but the more American government courses I seem to take here, the more I regret my major.
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