Intro to American Politics
Introduction to American Politics This course introduces the institutions and practices of American government and politics. The aim is to give students a firm understanding of the workings of and the balance of power among the American Congress, President, bureaucracy, and court system. We begin with the Constitution, which provides the set of founding principles upon which the American government is based. We then look at how American citizens make decisions about politics. Finally, we examine how political institutions, interest groups, parties, elections, and legislative bodies and rules aggregate diverse, often conflicting preferences and how they resolve or exacerbate problems.
Introduction to American Politics This course introduces the institutions and practices of American government and politics. The aim is to give students a firm understanding of the workings of and the balance of power among the American Congress, President, bureaucracy, and court system. We begin with the Constitution, which provides the set of founding principles upon which the American government is based. We then look at how American citizens make decisions about politics. Finally, we examine how political institutions, interest groups, parties, elections, and legislative bodies and rules a …Read more
Bert Johnson is an excellent professor! He is extremely enthusiastic about the course material and is very supportive. I initially took this class on a whim but it proved to be one of my favorite classes this semester. I will admit that it is quite content-heavy and skimming the readings isn't always feasible as specific questions are raised during discussions; however, the material itself is quite interesting and worthwhile as long as you pace yourself well. I would definitely take a class with Prof. Johnson again!
Bert Johnson is an excellent professor! He is extremely enthusiastic about the course material and is very supportive. I initially took this class on a whim but it proved to be one of my favorite classes this semester. I will admit that it is quite content-heavy and skimming the readings isn't always feasible as specific questions ar …Read more
bert is awesome. i would take this class just to have him, he has great charisma and really cares about the topic (also knows SO much). it’s overall a very pleasant class environment. for the course itself, definitely a solid baseline for understanding american politics i think this is essential for anyone in polisci or just anyone who wants to know how the govt works.
A must-take for knowing about how American Politics works, even for non-majors and people who think they know a lot already. Bert knows and is very passionate about what he is doing. His slides are rich in content and clear in presentation, with graphs, images, and even photos of him visiting every presidential candidate back in 2016. Weekly Canvas quizzes helped with understanding concepts. Help with papers was ample, and office hours were friendly and relaxing. You can write papers focusing on quoting readings or citing journals and news articles - accommodating for both felt very inclusive.
A must-take for knowing about how American Politics works, even for non-majors and people who think they know a lot already. Bert knows and is very passionate about what he is doing. His slides are rich in content and clear in presentation, with graphs, images, and even photos of him visiting every presidential candidate back in 2016 …Read more
Loved Dickinson. A very steep learning curve in regards to reading. Had an insane amount of paper to read per week. Learn how to skim. He was great at pointing out what he expected up to learn since he would emphasize it during his lectures. Take good notes discussion, they will literally save you. His class is basically identify the different supreme cases and their impact. Just know make sure to know the meaning and significance of every big idea he mentions. great prof, would live to take another class w/him
Loved Dickinson. A very steep learning curve in regards to reading. Had an insane amount of paper to read per week. Learn how to skim. He was great at pointing out what he expected up to learn since he would emphasize it during his lectures. Take good notes discussion, they will literally save you. His class is basically identify the …Read more
Bert is a nice guy but the lectures are extremely boring and uninteresting, almost no one paid attention to them. He also struggles to get through all of the lecture material and will often ramble about subjects without adding any value. The readings aren't bad as long as you break them up over the week and the discussions are easy as long as you read and are willing to participate. The readings and the lectures often had no correlation with each other too which I found odd. Overall it's not a work intensive class and the professor is nice, just extremely boring.
Bert is a nice guy but the lectures are extremely boring and uninteresting, almost no one paid attention to them. He also struggles to get through all of the lecture material and will often ramble about subjects without adding any value. The readings aren't bad as long as you break them up over the week and the discussions are easy a …Read more
Professor Bert Johnson is nothing short of a great human, professor, and all around great guy. Although the course itself can be a bit bland, Bert's enthusiasm can be a game changer. He loves what he is teaching and definitely knows he's stuff. He also is very understanding in extensions and can be great source for literally anything politics. His office hours are fun to go to and very informative, you'll get your questions answered and more. In sum, this course by itself is alright but if you're looking for a schedule block to fill or just something relatively enjoyable and light, Intro to American w/ Bert is the way to go.
Professor Bert Johnson is nothing short of a great human, professor, and all around great guy. Although the course itself can be a bit bland, Bert's enthusiasm can be a game changer. He loves what he is teaching and definitely knows he's stuff. He also is very understanding in extensions and can be great source for literally anythin …Read more
Dickinson is a total character — he’s passionate about American politics, the presidency, and, above all, free speech. Lively class discussion, but make sure to do the readings in preparation for his seminars, as he has no problem with cold-calling.