Recommend! I loved this class

Professor Min is the best lecturer I think I’ve ever had. He is able to explain complex stuff in a very simple and efficient way. Each lecture, we covered so many things, but in an hour and 15 minutes, we were able to comfortably cover everything. He is also so funny and seems like a very good person who is fair and understanding. During the midterm, I had a severe injury which caused me to be hospitalized, and once I emailed him, he was very compassionate and offered me an extra time to take the midterm that worked for me, and even the option to not take it at all and just add 20% of the whole grade the midterm made up to the final. Also, my TA was very nice, not the most helpful, but he tried; and I had no trouble studying on my own and answering my own questions with the help of notes and the internet.

This class is definitely a step up from high school AP Gov, but is TOTALLY achievable to do well if you just try a little. The class is made up of 20% Attendance and Participation, and if you actually contribute to sections, you will be totally fine getting 100% in that. Then there’s the midterm, which is also 20% and that was 40 MCQs and 5 FRQs (but you could pick any 3 to answer, which was so nice). The Analysis Paper made up 30% total (5% for the proposal, which is a light 5/5 if you try a little). The paper is based on something going on in the world, and you have to argue a side. It’s a college-level paper, but as long as you spend the time researching and can write a strong argument, this is fine too. The final is 30% and is either all MCQs or a couple of FRQs too, as long as you study, you’ll be fine. Also, Professor Min usually will be nice and bump up everyone’s grade by about 2% which is so nice of him.

Overall, I highly recommend this class to anyone, even if you haven’t taken much government before. It’s super interesting, and as long as you try a little, you’ll get an A.

Last thing, I got 100% on the final without reading the textbook, just have a good system for taking notes.

Professor Min was such a straightforward and clear lecturer which made the class super easy to study for and understand. All lectures are recorded and slides are on canvas which is all you really needed to study for the midterm and final. Although there is a textbook, it really just repeats the same things that Dr. Min says in class so there is not any need to read it. I, and many other students alike, were reading the first few chapters of the textbook but then realized it wasn't necessary.

Along with a midterm and final, there was an essay that goes into the grade book as well. It was quite challenging but our TAs helped us a lot through the process.

This class mostly depends on your TA. Professor Min only has a few office hour slots so speaking to your TA is essential to getting help.

That being said, Sara Elbanna is the worst TA--our whole class agreed. She went into lectures unprepared then gave everyone a bad grade on section even if you participated multiple times and attended every course. She would curse in class all the time and made you feel dumb even if she didn't know the answer herself or was literally just looking it up. She never had her camera on in office hours and she acted superior even though she stumbled on her words so many times during section. She never responded to emails and always had improper responses when/if she did. If you get her for any Poli Sci class, switch sections.

As for the class, it's imperative you memorize every single thing Professor Min says or else you won't know many answers on the tests. Many of his questions are random sentences or trivia he mentions once, even if it's not related to bolded terms or main concepts. He is a knowledgable, entertaining professor though and you can tell he really cares about his students and their learning.