He is a nice guy but sure does give long winded lectures. He gives thorough study guides before exams. If you want to do good you have to take good notes in class.

Very good teacher. Grabbed my attention during his lectures (although they are quite long). Really got into politics because of him and became more aware of the world problems and issues of importance. Do reading and go to lectures you will be fine.

easy, easy , easy. Class is someitmes boring if you're interested in this subject, but his tests are easy if you go over the study guides. His assigns some books to read to write two papers on, but I aced both without reading the books.

Nice. Easy. Does take attendance but randomly. He lectures and gets off topic but hes funny because he curses sometimes. His papers are easy i never read the books i juts skimmed the index for definitions for his papers and received a B in the class.

Gives u test questions, easy grader funny guy if your willing to go to class you'll get an "A" like me. If your unclear which u cant be cuz he repeats himself to get his point across in different ways just ask he's great loves opinonated people just come out strong and let ur voice be heard

Extremely opinionated.A little excentric.Does many poor impersonations, doesn't think highly of our nations political system. Participated in the revolution of some soviet country for his thesis project. Class somewhat easy, most grades based on info given in lectures, dont really need to read books

Dr. Kaskla may be opinionated, but so is everyone else at this school. I was extremely sick and had to drop all of my classes. I kept his though and even though I could not attend class (received notes from a friend) he was so supportive and answered my e-mails and still gave me a fabulous grade!

The class was extremely interesting. very knowledgeable about world affairs.Isn't afraid to be of an unpopular point of view.Isn't that what college is about?

This class needs to be a university pre-requisite, that's how interesting & educational DR.Kaskla makes it.The man is an asset to CSULB and without a doubt.He's not afraid to tell it like it is, raising much needed awareness. Kaskla and 461I are antidote for the 'American apathy'.The readings are th

Fantasmic

He is an alright instructor but you will definetely hear his socialist views which were unwanted on my part, but other than that not too hard of a class. Just reading some liberal books and writing 4 papers on them.

Dr. Kaskla is a great professor, and this is a very beneficial, must-take class for those interested in Poli Sci or International Affairs. I am learning tons & enjoying it!

super intelligent teacher. lectures were clear and interesting. i would take another class from him. A little too much reading but over all great class.

Amazing class! This guy is a hoot-absolutely hilarious. Not an easy class but worth while. I learned so much, and because of the class switched majors to polysci and i'm taking him again this semester for 455. Don't let his intelligence intimidate you! TAKE THIS CLASS

I took his honors posc 100 class, and I absolutely loved it. it wasn't easy, but i am big into politics and am a posc major so i loved the class. he is pretty liberal, but he never forced his views onto us, and we weren't graded down for conservative views, and we had a few really cons. ppl. he does impressions of lots of people, and was funny.

Kaskla is a very good teacher. He is very into political science. He is very liberal, but that just makes it more interesting when he makes fun of everything. The reviews are long, but help out a lot on the exams. He grades written work pretty easily. This class was fun and never boring at all. I reccomend him for posc 100.

This class was amazing. This guy has the biggest heart and cares so much about teaching. The subject matter is crazy interesting and very relevant in our lives. I really really learned a lot. He deserves more praise for his passion alone.

he is so funny. he's a nice man, which is why i ended up with a b.

Prof Kaskla is a cool guy. Very liberal, very passionate about government and politics. I probably learned the most in this class of all my classes this semester. The honors section has about sixty to one hundred pages of reading a week, with LONG study guides for tests (take hours to complete, but optional). Fair grader - on a curve. Very helpful

BEST POLY SCI PROFESSOR. I also took POSC 300 with him and he is AWESOME. THIS IS WHAT A POLITICAL SCIENCE CLASS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE. People who say he is biased, etc....WELL HE IS RIIIGHT! They are just offended b/c Kaskla is a million times smarter than they are. If you are into political science, Kaskla is a MUST TAKE.

this class blew my mind each time i went. After each lecture i felt really heavy and i would think about this stuff for the next couple hrs. The readings and ideas are incredibly thought provoking and i honestly feel WAY smarter and aware after taking this class. i have taken most of Kaskla's classes, he is a phenomenal teacher and person.

Prof. Kaskla is a very intelligent man. Liberal, kind, and quite funny at times. No exams, just many papers to write over the semester. Takes attendance on random dates.

He expects your essays to be engaging. No ****ting him, as he has obviously refined his BS detector. Read the books and write a a good essay and you'll pass with a good grade.

if you want the quintessential liberal professor experience, kaskla is the man for you. be ready for daily bush, cheney, and america bashing. the class itself was pretty easy, he only grades you on 4 papers, with no final exam. despite his liberal ways, hes a nice guy and the material is thought provoking stuff. i recommend his class.

Loved Kaskla in every single course i took with him!

his class is very interesting it would really be one of my favorite classes but i think that his essay prompts are hard. it really could just be me tho the class is not an easy one but you learn so much its worth it. hes really a nice guy and makes funny jokes. if i had the patience for his 4 papers, i would def take him again.

He is a great professor. Conservatives might have a problem. Overall the class is interesting but we ignored countries outside Europe and the United States. The worst you can do is get a B in the class if you show up. I believe there were four papers, which if you weren?t high during class then you should get B?s.

I took this as an Honors class. It was hard because I had to learn a lot of information in a short period of time.

Its funny sometimes when people call him liberal! sure he may lean left but the material considered in this class is simple REALITY! read 4 books write 4 papers. Americans need a reality check, take this class and you'll get it. really interesting.

I loved this guy! He was a very enjoyable professor and he really knew what he was doing. A little biased, but you're lucky when you find a political science teacher who isn't. I totally recommend him to anyone interested in the class, and I hate political science.

Politics of the Future. Overall good. Books are about Global Warming, Peak Oil, Technology going out of control, Privacy Rights & Todays world reacting rather than acting. I think this is one of his more favorite classes to teach and its interesting stuff. Lectures include films & he goes over everything about the books to get an A.

Took him for 455, 494i, and 461i. lots of reading but it's mostly very interesting stuff! 4 books for each class. 1 take home essay per book and he gives your the prompt a week in advance. make sure to highlight important quotes while reading to use in your essays (he really likes that because it shows you actually did the reading). easy A

Awesome teacher...barely have to go to class...although its recommended because he randomly takes attendance and he discusses the reading material in class...he is so funny...i might wanna have his babies one day

One of the most interesting teachers in the department. The lectures are structured but the discussions are free-form and open. 4 books, 4 papers. You have to read or you can't write the papers, period. Personally he's a bright, really cool guy.

Excellent class, Kaskla teaches it well. Although it occasionally gets boring he habitually cracks jokes to get your attention again. He's very passionate about what he does and is very openly liberal but don't let that stop you from taking this class. He doesn't mind if you refute his argument as long as you are logical and cite your sources.

People who think Kaskla is boring don't understand the concepts he talks about. Its easy to write people off if they make your brain hurt by speaking the truth! He's awesome, he's controversial, and he's what a poli-sci professor should be! Take his classes if you take politics seriously! He's kind of hot if you're into dorky smart guys haha

Interesting as long as the subject is taken, to some degree, with a grain of salt. He does give higher grades to people who agree with him. Over all I'd recommend him. The reads are interesting and easy. If these people are complaining about writing papers as poli sci majors, I suggest they change their major.

He's a great teacher and teaches a ton of POSC classes. You could probably fill half your POSC degree with him! His lectures are loosely structured and he does go on tangents, however, I find his open discussions to be very enjoyable. He really cares about what students have to say. If you have any questions on papers, his office hours are helpful.

Please simple class, it is mostly discussions in class. 4 take-home essays. He will pass anybody in the course. easy grader on the take-home essays. Take him, his classes are fun.

very good class, 4 books, 4 take home essays. he is a easy grader too. you will get to watch few movies in this class. i only didnt like the fact that he comes up with problems in gov, but never with solutions. good class overall take it!

CA Government. Great teacher. Liberal does not begin to describe him...he's not shy about his points-of-view. But, this is political science, and as a Libertarian myself, I like this. He's open to dissent, so don't worry about that. Overall, a great professor, I wouldn't hesitate in signing up for future classes with him.

Kaskla is super helpful, he covers much of the readings in his lectures and does a fantastic job at analyzing the readings. You must attend class, take good notes, and must have good writing skills. he only requires 4 essays through out the semester. As long as you read and pay attention you'll be fine

Great teacher who knows how to engage students with the material. Stimulating seminar class consisting primarily of student-led political conversation. Textbook reading is a must, but reading every single page is not always necessary. Great book selection and presentation. If he likes the class he'll even cook you Estonian food! Cool guy.

Great professor! Really passionate about teaching this subject and really opens your mind to the flaws of our gov. I would strongly recommend reading the books, attending class, and participating to get the most out of this class. It is a really interesting subject and he is a great professor! A must for law, politics and public policy interests!

Awesome class! You will learn a lot about the flaws in our government system. I strongly recommend attending class because he takes random attendance. Class is very helpful though, because he covers the material from the books, which are very interesting. The class is based on 4 very easy 1000 word essays, attendance, and easy discussions.

EASY A. Random Attendance, 4 essays - 1000 words each. Never spoke during discussion sessions. Read the books and do the papers.

amazing professor. engaging, passionate, really wants to help his students understand the material presented. random attendance checks but going to class helps because he discusses the books being read which helps on the papers tremendously. 4 papers 1000 word max. grades fairly.

Set clear guide lines and provided study questions for tests and went over material very thoroughly. It was a very fun class and he was great at teaching you things you did not know about with a mix of text book knowledge and interesting facts.

Amazing! Im actually depressed that the class is ending. PolSci is not my major but he made this class so enjoyable. He is a great teacher and a wonderful human being. His class should be taken by EVERYONE! CSULB is lucky to have him as a professor and Im fortunate to have taken his class. Bravo!

I took him for Global Politics and loved this class! There are no textbooks. However, we did have 4 books and 4 in-class essays (all of which were open note/open book). I'm a history major, so I'm used to a lot of reading and writing. His subject matter is very interesting and eye-opening - I highly reccoment the class!

One of the Best teachers Ive ever taken here at CSULB. He's funny, engaging, passionate. Its a reading and writing based course but you walk out of it learning so much about the world. Its a good time no alcohol required.

Professor Kaskla is the best professor I have ever had! Show up to class and actively listen. You will learn some incredible stuff in his classes.

He's a great professor! Took him for 455 and learned a lot about revolutionary movements and theories. Essays seem challenging but he is there to help and a good grader. Hard to keep up with reading but he goes over it. I recommend using a laptop bc there are no PPTS and it's all lecture. Would take him again.

Dr. Kasla is awesome! He teaches really revolutionary ideas that opened up my mind a lot. The class definitely makes you think. No tests, ALL essays. He's a fair grader and is willing to help. There's a lot of readings and he only gives verbal lectures, so sometimes it's hard to know what important and what's not. Would take him again!

Kaskla was great! Was nervous coming into the class but glad I took it. Gives 4 essays throughout the sem, gives you a week to write them. If you don't keep up with the readings it'll be a little harder to write them. Generous grader. Passionate about what he teaches. Theory is not my thing but I would take him again

My favorite class at CSULB and I'm not a posc major. The grade is comprised of four essays that are based on the theories discussed in class and on the readings. He goes over the readings in class so you should attend, plus he tells interesting Estonian stories. The takeaway, we need to change the system before it's too late by acting now!

Transformational. When I look back on my long college career there's courses I took before Kaskla's 2006 politics of development lectures and the courses that I took after. His class was like a nova that transformed my mind about the world. The ideas covered where radical, foreign, and challenging.

There were 2 midterms, 1 essay, and 1 final. I barely went to class but I memorized the study guide and its answers for every test. You need to read the book or make a google doc study guide with your other students in order to do well on the exams. The class is pretty easy, I'm getting a high B.

Great Professor! Can stray off topic at times but is still relevant and interesting. No final but you have to write 4 papers. As long as you do the readings you will be fine. The texts can be long but they are super interesting. One of my favorite classes this semester.

Three papers. 10-15 PAGES each! Get ready to read! Multiple books.

Professor Kaskala is very passionate. His lectures are interesting every time, you'll never be bored unless you're distracted or plain stupid if you're not listening to what he is saying. I wish I would have taken him for more classes. If you're truly curious about politics take a class with Kaskala.

Professor Kaskla is a very interesting lecturer, he can be extremely awkward at times but if you agree with his view points then it is an amazing lecture. My only concern is that he can be very biased on certain issues and it seems like he does not allow students to state their opposing opinions. There is a lot of reading and writing so be ready!

His lectures are really dense, the 1st half of semester is about CA history/colonialism. 2nd half is easier: CA gov't structure at state& local level. 3 tests, all free response questions but he chooses questions straight from the study guide! tough grader on the essay, read the book & be specific. not bad, would take again. try to not skip

Kaskla is a passionate professor who enjoys his subject. Can come across as bland and tepid at times. He gives no midterms or finals - only essays. Be prepared to READ and have a (mostly) developed understanding of the material. His lectures cover topics that can be included in your essays. Wouldnt recommend to students looking for an easy A.

No exams, just papers. You read a book, he gives a lecture about a part of it with supplemental information, and you write a paper on it. For the most part I just took my notes and put them into essay form and I got As on all the papers. I really liked the topics and the books he chose. The material is depressing (AI, global warming, etc.).

Ed Kaskla spent his lectures ranting about the top stories in the news for that day from a Marxist perspective. Only about 10% of his lectures are actually on the tests. The other 90% of the time he veered between hilarious stories and apocalyptic predictions.

He is SUPER passionate about politics, and I liked how he kept students updated on current political issues. However, there was JUST to MUCH to read and write. Assignments: 5 books to read, two-ten page essays, 15 Discussion Questions (2 q's per week), and a Final of 15-20 pages. Take good notes and be sure to TALK in class-- You are graded on it!

4 papers (two 5-7 pages and two 7-9 pages). The class is very theoretical in many sections (artificial intelligence), but a large focus is on climate change. The class can be depressing when learning about it, but still interesting. The papers are on the books but class lectures are 90% of what I used to write them.

Took this class and it was really fun and interesting. My only problem is he does not post grades to beach-board. Hes a really tough grader, so you must read the books and really know your stuff! Thought I was going to get As on my papers but received mostly Bs

This class is mainly based on papers so beware, there are 4 papers with the last one being the final. They are all based on books he assigns although if you pay attention in class you don't necessarily need to read them he goes over them in depth pretty well. I recommend this as a breadth course its extremely easy and he's pretty nice and funny.

Professor Kaskla was pretty cool, his personal stories were very interesting and you can tell he is beyond passionate about politics. The class is all pure lecturing no powerpoints. The class consisted of 1 essay, 2 free response exams with 10 questions each and 1 final essay. Attendance is somewhat mandatory because he does random checks.

This class was interesting but dark. Dr. Kaskla is just lecture so pay attention for essay ideas. No tests, just 4 essays. However, he is a tough grader. Make sure to read the books. Create time to set up and edit your paper because he only gives a week. Make sure to have critical thinking skills. But, the class was a nice experience and helpful.

Professor is really nice and easygoing. If u put in effort for ur essays (most are 3-5pgs or 7-9pgs), u'll at least get a B everytime. DW about if ur not star essay writer, I wasn't. Lots of reading as we go through plenty of books. Conversations during lectures are rlly eye-opening.

Professor Kaskla holds up to his reputation. You definitely have to read for this class or you'll have trouble during essays. Take good notes because his class is pure lecture. I wasn't a fan but it definitely helped me pay attention during the class. Push yourself, ask questions, and you will do great! Will be taking him again!

We were graded on a few papers and a few short answer quizzes. It was hard to guess what he wanted in the essays, and it seems like most of the class only ever got B's. He was really passionate about the topics though and that made the class a lot more interesting. One of the most eye-opening classes I've taken.

Quite possibly the most boring professor you will take. Loves ranting about his life in Estonia, however, is a very easy class to pass. The entire course is graded on four papers and he seemingly gives everybody a B on all papers. All papers are based on assigned textbooks, so be prepared to read.

Loved his class and learned so much about where our future is headed. Kaskla is super personable and really cares about the topics he covers in the class. Attendance isn't mandatory, but it's important to go so you know what to add to your papers. Be thoughtful and ask questions during lecture and you'll probably get a good grade!

Cannot speak highly enough about Professor Kaskla and taking this course with him. Insightful lectures, don't miss out. Most of the books were interesting, too. Easy to connect his lectures to the theme of the books. Very approachable and helpful if you have questions or want to continue a discussion from class. His class was worth the money.

Professor Kaskla is extremely passionate about Politics and Global Affairs, all of the books in his syllabus made their way to my regular bookshelf. He grades based on 4 papers and appreciates when you consume the material seriously and can intellectualize what you learned with a strong stance. He is a wonderful professor and CSULB is lucky.

This is by far one of the best professors I've ever had in terms of material and ideas learned in class. If you're ever wondering why the world is the way it is, this is the professor to answer your questions. He is very lecture heavy, but classes can turn more into seminars if you participate and encourage your classmates to as well.

Professor Kaskla was by far one of the best professors that I had at CSULB. I learned so many things in his class that completely reshaped how I viewed the world. He is extremely knowledgeable on politics and world affairs and you always learn something new and insightful listening to his lectures. Highly recommend!

Professor Kaskla is an incredible teacher that has a passion for any topic he's teaching. His classes are lecture heavy but everything in the lecture is something interesting and the professor makes it all easy to understand. He's so nice and honestly the best teacher I had all semester, I actually learned a lot from his class. TAKE HIS CLASS!!!

Professor Kaskla is an amazing Professor. If this course is available and you want something that will be challenging but also eye-opening take it. Professor Kaskla is super passionate about politics. His class is basically all lecture and is graded only on 4 major papers and 2 smaller film reviews. Not an easy A, but worth the effort. GREAT PROF!

Most of your grade comes from 4 essays, so be specific and explain some examples from the lectures and book and you'll probably get at least a B. Takes attendance on random days. Class consists of mainly lectures, but they're interesting and easy to follow. Kind prof who creates a welcoming space for discussions and taught me a lot.

4 short-ish papers each based on a book you have to buy and a couple easy assignments. Papers are assigned on wednesday and due monday of the following week, assignments are due the same day they're assigned. He is a very tough grader, his feedback is a little ambiguous. Lectures can get kinda boring.

By far one of the best professors I have ever had. He is very knowledgeable and insightful on politics and global affairs. People calling his lectures boring or irrelevant to class are either not interested in the subject and just trying to get an A or unable to critically think on complex topics. Kaskla truly changed my outlook on the world.

taking this class when trump got back into office was awesome, kaskla definitely had his opinions. he has a sarcastic humor which makes his information heavy lectures more enjoyable. he randomly takes attendance so definitely show up to class, his lectures help with essays. you write four 1000 word essays throughout the semester, very easy