The class is not hard, just make sure to study. The are lectures that recommend going to but arent mandatory. People who went to the class did better on the exams, and there arent many grades aside from the exams. He is a spacey talker though, he often takes pauses in his sentences and it is kind of weird. On beautiful days we have class outside!

Do yourself a favor and take this man. Attendance wasn't necessary but he does randomly take attendance for extra credit. Lectures are pretty straight forward, if you study, take the online assignments, complete the current events and at least show up once a week there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't have an A.

This man was pretty dope, he only had 3 exams throughout the whole year and weekly quizzes on Fridays (but it was on Cengage). He was always optimistic af and he seems to be chill enough to understand that we're college students and we want to learn but not feel overwhelmed with politics. He actually taught us, I appreciate him!

Pretty chill. The subject may be boring, but he's chill.

Great professor with great lectures considering it's an AM class. Requires Cengage account that gives you access to the text book if you need it (you won't if you go to the lectures) and weekly quizzes based off of the textbook (quizlet is your friend). You also have about 3-4 exams and has review sessions before the exams which are super helpful.

Very cool professor, understand that most students are required to take his class so hes doesnt give out a lot of work. Test are 40 questions and pretty easy if you study (he makes study guides). He took attendance 3 times throughout the semester and its always random.

Lectures are all from a slide show which he posts before the exams, gives reviews before tests. Tests are super easy if you just go to class and pay attention. Chapter quizzes online but they're super easy as well. 3 tests and online quizzes are the only grades so this class was an easy A.

The class is overall pretty easy, The only reason that you might fail is if you don't pay any attention and skip class. Theres only 3 test and no final. Quizzes on cengage are a life saver, (quizlet is your bff). Lectures aren't that boring, but he talks a bit.

Professor McDonald is really a great government teacher. He teaches government with history intertwined and it really makes class interesting. A great lecturer! He has an online quiz every week which is easy (quizlet) and he has to tests and a final. The tests aren't hard if you come to class and pay attention. Take him!

Took attendance 4 times throughout the semester so make sure to show up for class. Exams are easy as long as you read and take notes on the textbooks. I took his hybrid class so we had our first two exams at CASA and our third one at home online. He canceled class quite a bit but the textbook was more helpful than his lectures anyway.

Professor McDonald is a wonderful professor. His lectures are interesting and informative. Do your quizzes and take notes off of the lecture slides- YOU WILL DO GREAT! His gives two extra credit opportunities that can be the difference between an A- and an A, do them (does not require school work.) Would take him again in a heartbeat!

hes the only history/pols teacher I've taken that I actually like. He explains things to you and tells class like is a story. He's actually pretty funny. He is a young professor and understands what its like to be in school. His assignments are pretty much all online except for in class exams, Attendance was randomly taken

His lectures are very nice. He posts the PowerPoints before class sometimes so you know exactly what notes to take. Final exam is online at home. The rest are at CASA. Attendance is extra credit. Easy class, just do the online quizzes from the book. The readings are interesting. Cancels class often. 10/10

Professor McDonald is a great instructor. Political science can tend to be a boring course but he makes it worth showing up to class. Your grade is comprised based on attendance, online quizzes, and 3 exams. There is no cumulative final. His tests are very straightforward as long as you study his powerpoints and show up to class.

Honestly, I took this class because it was mandatory. What I didn't realize was how much his lectures gave me excitement and hearing him talk about the course was engaging. His overall persona and vibe is very approachable and you can tell he wants everyone to get an A in the class. Only downfall, he doesn't respond back to emails very efficiently.

Great professor. Classes are lecture only, but somehow not boring. He is relatable while getting the point across. Grade is mostly tests with a weekly online quiz. If you go to all the lectures and pay attention and go over the study guide before the test you'll be fine, I never rad the textbook.

Best Political Science Professor at UH. 3 tests worth 25% each, then attendance and quizzes worth 25% which is easy. Great Professor.

Easiest class I've taken at UH thus far. He's a really funny professor so his lectures are not super boring. He doesn't make the grading criteria hard to understand, so you know what you need to do for an A immediately. NO ESSAYS!!

Professor McDonald is an amazing professor. His grading system is very clear and reasonable. Weekly quizzes due every Friday and only three exams throughout the semester. His lectures arent boring and he posts all of the material on Blackboard, including exam reviews. Overall great professor, would take him again in a heartbeat.

The first test covered 6 chapters and had a class average of 80. Other than that, the lectures are entertaining and the professor has student-led study guide sessions before every exam. He's a cool dude.

Political science can be hard to teach but Professor McDonald does it with ease. His lectures are very exciting and fun, and he's always asking for the students' thoughts which makes his class engaging. If you show up to lecture and take good notes, you'll be fine. McDonald is also very approachable so it's easy to ask questions.

The only bad thing about this professor is that he is not the best at responding to emails. Other than that, I loved his class, he is an amazing lecturer and he really cares about what he's teaching and that's very evident in his class. Always asks for class participation and it really helps cement what you are learning into your mind.

He's a great prof! Weekly quizzes, readings, and lectures. As long as you keep up with them, you'll do well on the exams. 3 exams. Not that great at responding to emails. Do his test reviews! There are some very specific questions on the exams, so I suggest reading the chapters right before taking it.

Amazing professor. He posts online lectures that were great to listen to. Read the textbook for more info but overall just listening to lectures will get you a good grade in the class. His tests are pretty straightforward. No final exam. Tests are based on units of chapter and you dont need to remember previous chapters. One weekly quiz.

I love his class. I recommend taking him during a session is extremely easy and engaging if you are into politics. The test are super easy and his very motivated about teaching.

Professor McDonald is by far the best professor for a political science class at UH! I highly recommend you take him for your political science courses if he is available.

Best class everrr, enjoyable lectures and very manageable tests/exams. Take this class over any other POLS teacher!

took this as a mini class (1 month long) and it was so worth it! if you want a for sure A in the class, you have to watch the lectures and maybe even read the textbook for extra studying. If you take it as a mini course, it will be about 1 hour to an hour and a half of lectures per day. lectures were pre recorded and the class was online.

Super easy class (especially if you have general idea about pols). 1 quiz/wk and 3 midterms total. Very doable and not hard at all. Also gives great extra credit opportunity. totally recommend.

Amazing. Enjoyable lectures, expert instructor, connects material to relevant experiences and brings in a fun story. Always asks questions to keep students engaged. Has clear expectations. 3 exams, weekly chapter quizzes, 1 extra credit opportunity.

I took him for online. He barely responds to emails. He is a nice teacher and pretty chill class though.

Professor McDonald is an amazing professor. He knows how to make a lecture entertaining. He is very funny and is willing to help you. Attendance is not mandatory but attending the lectures will take you a long way. There are weekly quizzes and a final exam THATS IT. The textbook is a lot to read but manageable if you get a headstart on the weekend.

Professor McDonald is an amazing instructor. His lectures are interesting. He makes a joke every now and then. Make sure to come to class, pay attention, take handwritten notes, and you will do just fine. There are 12 weekly quizzes (he drops 2 by the end of the semester) and 3 exams. No final and no midterm. Overall, this is a pretty easy course.

Funny and likable. Textbook heavy, needed to understand all material. Three exams and multiple quizzes which are easy 100s. He is hard to reach, rarely responds to emails if at all. Showing up is optional but he does have sporadic attendance checks worth around 10 points. Easy 2 points of extra credit. Overall good prof, bearable for a semester.

Professor McDonalds lecture is fun and interesting to listen to; however, you will need to read textbooks because of the weekly quizzes and the test is tricky and pretty much from the textbook. There were 3 exams that are 75% of the grade and quizzes and attendant is 25%. Also, he also gives out 2 points extra credit at the near end of semester.

Easy class, nice guy, weekly quizzes. Counts attendance randomly. talks about things in the lecture for the test. little boring but easy

Very easy class. Professor is interesting and is young and acts like it. He teaches in a way that makes you interested and keeps you involved. Just inquisitive quizzes every week that help you learn for tests. Very easy.

This Professor was so chill, loved this class. If you listen to the lectures when you're supposed to and take notes during them, it will benefit you when taking an exam. Reading the textbook is crucial too because he takes some information from the textbook into the tests, so be beware of that but it's not the hardest class ever. Totally recommend

He is a great professor. We are assigned one Inquizitive assignment per week with multiple attempts allowed so it's easy to get a 100 every time. Extra credit was 2 points added to your overall grade if we donated $10 to a thanksgiving organization. Lecture is interesting because he's actually funny. Three exams total. Easy class & light work load.

He doesn't respond to emails so good luck. Mostly inquisitive based. His review recordings helped a lot on quizzes.

Don't skip class as questions on test can be from his lectures and not textbook, like random facts. Lectures are actually not boring

McDonald is a super cool prof! Definitely recommend taking him for your req GOVT courses. Exams arent super bad, but he posts reviews and theyre extremely helpful! Ended class with an A, just make sure to attend class he takes spontaneous attendance that counts towards final class grade (and he always hints at exam questions in class too).

There's only one chapter quiz due every Sunday for the asynchronous class. The workload is very light, just read the textbook. The quizzes are like a game and you have the chance to work your way up to a 100 on each one. There was one extra credit opportunity in the 2021 fall semester.

McDonald is a great professor. He makes the content of the class super easy to understand with humor and light-heartedness. Go to class. Do the Inquizitives. Pay attention. Take good notes. Watch the test reviews. 10/10. Stand up guy for sure.

If you go to class and read the textbook, his tests are fairly simple. He's very nice and his lectures are interesting to keep up with. It's very easy to pass this class if you do the work for it and study!

He takes random attendance 3 times and it counts a small percent towards your grade, but you are not obligated to go all the time. However, I loved his lectures and enjoyed going. He makes the lectures interactive and not just boring. He brings up relevant, interesting, or cultural examples that are interesting to the youth. Examples: NFTs.

One of the funniest and one of my favorite proffessors. The textbook is required, but the quizzes are super easy. If you study and pay attention during the lectures (he makes them fun and engaging) then you will be just fine on the tests.

The professor is nice and hilarious and his test were mostly from the powerpoint and his lecture. The test were not that difficult and I really enjoy his lecture. He made political science pretty fun for me.

He will take a random attendance 3 times, but it does not count for a large % of your grade. I loved coming to his lectures and he makes them fun and interactive. He relates to pop culture and things we, College students, are interested in. No essays, just multiple-choice tests that are easy if you go to lectures.

His lectures are really funny and super entertaining! The material does require some amount of memorization which can be tough but is to be expected given the subject. Fair warning: some exam questions are based on stuff from his lectures which don't appear in the presentations.

Professor McDonald is a talented lecturer. He makes dull subjects entertaining. Assignments are few and far between. Great professor for Govt!

One of the best professors at UH. lectures are very entertaining. Not a hard class if you pay attention.

He's SO good! I was never bored in his class, he makes lectures super hilarious.There's 3 exams ,but they are extremely easy and he gives you guidelines on what to study and uploads videos that also help on the exams. Attendance is not really mandatory as he never takes attendance ,but attending lectures is highly recommended.

This has been my fav professor so far! He makes lectures enjoyable and he's so funny. As long as you pay attention during lectures and do your inquisitive quizzes, you will pass. Professor McDonald is awesome!!

Government is usually very boring to me but Prof. McDonald makes it interesting. His lectures are engaging and make it easy to understand what's going on the topics. There are weekly smart books which take less then an hour. As long as you study for the exams, pay attention in the lectures, and understand the study guide, you will be fine.

Professor Mcdonald is an amazing professor, in order to pass this class make sure you dont skip, do the readings, pay attention in class, and turn in your assignments. If you do that then you will do great!

Truly an amazing professor! A great lecturer, very charismatic and passionate about what he teaches. Homework consisted of 1 weekly Inquizitive and he does have random attendance checks. Only 3 exams with no final and one extra credit opportunity. Put effort into the class and you'll do fine! 100% recommend taking his class!!

Take this professor! He actually makes the material interesting, and the class was fairly easy. We had class scheduled for two days a week, but he only holds in-person lecture one on of those days and posts the rest online. Very convenient and easy to work with!

lectures were long and boring, but take notes!!! test Reviews were trash imo didnt help, listen to the audios. We had class scheduled for two days a week, but he only holds in-person lecture one on of those days and posts the rest online. overall simple gov just not my subject...

Awesome professor. He has a way of making lectures fun and engaging. He assigns one HW due at the end of the week, he will randomly take attendance three times, there are test reviews, and he offers a 2 point extra credit if you donate to some charity. The test are online through LockDown Browser and the questions are basically memorization.

Great professor, has an awesome sense of humor and is deeply devoted to his lectures.Pros: funny, offered extra credit at the end. Cons: random quizzes, heavy grader

Great professor! Don't skip class, take good notes, do the readings, do the inquizitives on time and you'll be fine. There is no final exam. The tests are pretty easy because he gives an outline of topics that will be on the test.

Engaging lectures every time and made the course extremely easy. Attendance is taken at random so don't miss class especially since exams are over the lecture powerpoints and things he mentions in person. Test reviews are outlines of topics and an audio recording of important info people often miss, so its basic memorization, but webcam is required

Overall, this class was quite manageable. I personally HATED the inquisitives but only because it took me a while to finish, however, I'm glad I took his class as this was the only homework we needed to do and all of our exams were online using lockdown browser. He gave us a review a week before each exam and they were always helpful. Take him!

He only grades a few attendances throughout the semester. He is passionate about the subject and makes the assignments easy. Tests were through Respondus, but questions were pretty straightforward. If you attend class and pay attention, you will do well.

I took this as a hybrid class.15% attendance, 10% Inquizitives due each week, and 25% for 3 non-cumulative exams. He is a funny guy and his lectures are hilarious and never get old. He gives out study guides for you to fill out and listen to for exams, which are simple except for the 3rd one. You can even ask him to extend the exam day for you.

I took his hybrid section of GOVT2306 and he was the best professor. Inquisitive- 25%, Attendance- 10% (taken 3 times), 3 Exams- 25% each. His lectures are fun and entertaining to not miss from his teaching personality, gives extra credit of +2 points to final grade for donating $10 to ALS. Focus on his lectures and study guide to easily get an A.

Professor McDonald was great! I took his hybrid GOVT2306 class, and he made his grading and deadlines very clear at the beginning of the semester. The course is straight forward, and very doable. There are weekly inquizitives (25%) and 3 lecture exams (25% e/a). If you're looking to fulfill your govt requirement, I would highly recommend his class!

Probably one of my favorite professors at UH. Government was always boring to me but his lectures make it sound interesting. He's very approachable and the class has great structure. I'd definitely recommend.

Professor McDonald was super chill. There was one inquisitive due every Sunday, and 3 exams using Lockdown Browser which were pretty easy if you listened to his lectures. He was kind and understanding, with a straightforward syllabus. Probably one of the easiest and funniest professors I've had so far. Would definitely recommend taking his class!

Go to class! Textbook doesn't really do much for you. Funny guy, I like listening to him. Review sheet very vague. Not bad. Lockdown Browser tests at home. Edit: NVM, I failed the second exam. Most did. Take notes on recorded lectures & in person!!!

Professor McDonald is a great guy. He is passionate about what he teaches and adds "hip" references to make it relatable. Take notes in his class and during audio lectures. The textbook is long and unnecessary. Weekly inquisitive assignments (just busy work, not on the test). 10/10 professor, just pay attention in class.

Professor Mcdonald is very funny and charismatic for sure. He is a very chill guy but knows what he's talking about and just when you start getting distracted he cracks a funny joke and everyone is laughing. He does occasionally take attendance but the coursework is very light and he does a good job of teaching everything the test is over.

Professor gave pretty nice lectures and offered an extra credit assignment. The only thing is that the test are usually over small details that most wouldn't think to study when preparing for test.

McDonald is a pretty cool guy. His exams are not. Overall easy to maintain a good grade but if you want something exceptional you might have to deep dive before every exam.

theres really easy weekly quizzes and 3 exams. he does require lockdown browser with the camera on. He was easy overalll only that for the exams there is an 8 hour window and he doesn't really answer emails that often so just try to make it work but I didn't really need to contact him. theres extra credit too, overall easy i would take it again

honestly very good prof! Would def retake him. he is very passionate and knows how to keep a big group interested. Always cracking jokes and can keep you entertained. Tests are lecture heavy tbh so I would def suggest taking notes. Exams aren't hard but they aren't easy (2nd one many did bad). Study guides barely help so pay attention to detail :)

He was very funny and nice, and did make the lectures engaging as someone who isn't interested in government classes. His test reviews weren't very helpful, and the tests had a lot of questions over specific details. Offered an extra credit assignment. Took attendance sometimes at random. Good class, but you have to be good at studying for an A

I don't usually leave a rating but he is a really passionate and humorous professor. His lectures are extremely important as tests are very lecture based. Attendance was taken 3 times at random with weekly inquisitives. Overall not a hard class but make sure to attend all lectures and take notes otherwise you will not get a good grade.

Very easy class, Inquizitives once a week, 3 exams

I took this class over the winter break for my requirements and I felt stressed. I know it's a winter mini class but I didn't think the reading would be so long and listening to lectures. Make sure you are prepared to study in this course! The professor made it a straightforward course.

took as a hybrid class, one in-person lecture, and once-a-week online recording. three major non-cumulative exams and weekly inquizitivs. lectures are pretty entertaining and easy to keep engaged. funny guy and a very understanding professor. overall great class. study guides are clear and concise to what you're being tested on.

He's a super chill professor that really cares for his students and wants you to do well. I took him online for a winter mini and its way better than taking a full semester course. Easy inquisitive assignments and 3 exams. Listen to the exam recordings and follow along with the ppts and you will do well.

Prof McDonald is so funny and I genuinely enjoyed going to his class. He only has you show up once a week and then posts audio lectures for the second weekly class. Answers to the tests are in his lectures and the tests are very straightforward. Inquizitives every week also help to boost your grade since they're very easy. 1 extra cred assignment.

Make sure to do the weekly homework, it's pretty easy because the answers are on quizlet for most questions. The tests are not hard, just make sure to listen to the test review audio lecture, they helped a lot.

Lectures were so fun and I genuinely learned so much about a subject I initially was not very excited about. Do not skip lectures, they get better as the semester passes! Exams are very lecture oriented and if you take notes during lectures you will 100% get an A-B every time

This class was made interesting and fun by Professor Mcdonald. He shows knowledge and interest in the class and its content. You can feel he truly wants the students to succeed. He is very understanding and receptive to emails. He provides homework and extra credit to boost your grade.

Fine professor

Professor made the lectures very interesting to learn. He only has you show up once a week and then posts audio lectures for the second half of the week. The tests are very straightforward, but personally was still challenging for me. Inquizitives every week are also very easy. Plus, 1 easy extra credit assignment.

I took him during the fall 2023 semester. He was very funny and easy to approach. He definitely wanted students to pass. Some of the test questions were weird and very specific, but it wasn't too insanely difficult. I did not have fun with the inquisitives and watching an entire lecture every week, but it was bareable.

I took this class in the fall semester of 2023 as a hybrid class, and it was a fairly easy class. The only annoying assignments were the inquisitive as they can take a long time to complete. The tests were fairly simple and can be an easy A if you study enough. Overall, a great class with a great professor.