A philosopher king, but is indeed a liberal (no one is perfect)

The negative comments must be from ultra-conservative students. He's a great teacher, very smart, and will challenge your assumptions. Don't be afraid to learn. Take his class if you want to know how the US political system really works.

One of the best professors ever! A liberal but if you don't agree with his opinion's challenge him-he loves it. Make sure you can back up your arguments with facts because he will bring you down if you can't! He will not hold disagreements against you.

super cool guy to get to know and argue with. be willing to accept differnet points of view! He's a really nice guy if you participate and show that you're taking notes.

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A team-teaching whiz. Teaching with Dr. Braatz, he steals the show. With Kuykendall, the chemistry is--wow!--like magic. Techtonic! Platonic! However, his logic on the Iron Triangle is circular, and I never got Fed10. Factions, schmactions!

Professor Twicken is a Liberal Democrat and believes most students need to be exposed to this vievpoint in order to be a more informed student. One book report on "fast food nation", six easy quizes, mid-term and final are essay format,and extra

Professor Twicken is a great teacher.

Great guy! However, he tends to loose his train of thought, and often digresses into stories of his family which have little or no relevence to the the content of the lecture

Fun class however he is very liberal and his class is pretty hard.

Ultra liberal, he streaches his examples to the point that you can not alwayse take him seriously. He is a great guy and a good teacher, I reccomend him

Twicken's classes are fun and make you think. He tends to stereotype white people, which if your white can be infuriating. But he has got to be one of the best Prof. at Saddleback!

This class is very easy, do well on the midterm and final (which are essays)and you will get an A.

Twicken was by far the coolest teacher i had. He gave very good lectures and was very funny. He opens your prospective on things and you actually learn something. Not to mention for Political Science he is so easy. But he is a really cool teacher.

Excellent teacher with his famous quote, "When the rubber hits the road, you and I can't do a god damn thing about it." I got an A+ in his class. I actually liked his story about his family.

His lectures are okay but he gets sidetracked talking about his family and pointless stuff VERY easily. Take his combined class with Braatz, its easy and you get two classes over with at once.

Chill lectures, too opinionated on race issues however. Talks alot about his family. Test are really hard and is a pretty hard grader.

If you want to know about poly sci, take Haggerty, Niedzwiecki and Twicken. The three combined are AMAZING. (Warning, very liberal, pretend you are too) Twicken lectures a lot, use class discussion to keep things fun. Get on his good side, better grade.

GOOD GUY, KNOWS GOVERNMENT VERY WELL, TAKE IT WHEN ELECTIONS GO ON.

one of the most awesome profs i'v ever had. also one of the toughest, but he's very willing to work with you. i loved his stories - many times they were a welcome breather between difficult topics. i'm a poli sci major and i highly recommend him!

most amazing teacher. lots of stories and very funny!!!! TOTALLY LAID BACK

Twicken is the most inspiring & amazing teacher I have had at saddleback yet. His lectures are dammn hilaroius & he's very interesting. His quizzes are a bit hellatious however the class is well worth it. keep up on reading&ifyourrepublican keepanopenmind

He is the best teacher I have ever had!Seems tough at first,but with all the extra credit,you can't help but get an A!The term paper is basic facts about PS and his tests in class are easy if you read, tardies are cool,and argue with him he loves it!!!!!!

He is a extremely informative, inspiring teacher! I am thinking about changing my major just because of him. Yes he makes you read alot but the books are very interesting and it's totally possible to hold a full class load and work with his class. He giv

Awesome teacher. The class material isn't the most interesting, but if you're looking for something new and a more eye-opening view, take a class with Twicken.

Love him! He'll make you want to learn and impress him with what you learn...he is a big teddy bear.A totally inspirational person. If you like learning take one of his classes.I don't go to Saddleback anymore..but I find myself thinking about his lectures all the time. You'll learn a lot from him!

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HE IS THE MAN!! an intellectually stimulating class, I had a BLAST! do the reading and you'll do great. He's got a great sense of humor, and is one of the best teachers around. HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM! even if you don't have to, take his class, its a great experience!

Great teacher wish there were more like him that tells reality through his lectures, and makes Political science interesting as well as tell the true ways the government functions if you know what I mean!!

He is one of Saddleback's treasures. Awesome class, he's a very very good teacher, a bit opinionated but very funny. Not an easy grade, gotta do the reading and prepare for all essay tests. But its an experience I recommend to all. I'd take the class again just for fun if I could.

Mr. Twicken is ahead of his time. His political theory class(PS 10), was awesome! PS 1 was a very cool class too. Mr. Twicken is everything a teacher should be. He is inspirational.

His lectures are funny, and have depth, he has a great sense of humor, you will learn a lot!!! Just keep on top of the reading and do the paper really early in the semester.

Twicken is a great teacher, he not only teaches you the value of politics, but helps you develop your own opinion on it as well, and his class discussions are great.

Very talented teacher. Twicken is biased, and he doesn't pretend to be otherwise. But Were you to ask any conservative student in political theory, and there were many, whether they suffered because of Twicken's "liberalism," they would most likely laugh in your face. Twicken may disagree with you but he will never take it out on your grades.

Twicken is a great professor. I've been in his class for 2 weeks and i always look forward to it. I didn't know the Declaration of Independence could be so interesting. I love his lectures and i only wish that every teacher could be that enthusiastic.

Awesome awesome professor. He's blunt and he does indeed like hearing himself talk. But he's hilarious and really digs deep to help us learn. He loves his students. Definitely one of the most influential people in my entire life, even though I might not agree with him 100% of the time. How many people can you say that about...c'mon, he's awesome.

Good teacher, makes you want to go to class. he is a really funny guy. But im telling you, if you want to write a 20 page paper, then all power to you. know your**** and read. read read. His books are so outragous but he makes you think and you understand if you go to class.

He is very opinionated but it sometimes made things interesting. Your grade is just quizes and a paper, and I felt like he graded my paper easy. I ended up with a B but never did the reading for the quizes. Fair/Easy grading. Good guy.

great

GREAT TEACHER provocative teaching style good discussions One long paper,do early,helps with quizzes Movie Night extra credit go!CARES about students,very helpful.Respect him and he’ll respect you back!Knows his stuff,should be more out there like him maybe at the University level? I hope so!How Gov REALLY works This is the real word deal,enjoy it!

Interesting and provocative.

Have respect for him and classmates and he'll keep respect for you as well. Personable, interesting, and honest. Extra credit movie nights. 10 page paper midterm, easy final and quizes if you read the assigned chapters.

Considering the material involved he made it easier to take it in while mixing in a little history. If you have to take this class make sure to keep up with the material and keep good notes. the exams are essay and I believe we had three.

Very knowledgable and amusing! Don't mess with him cause he will mess with you since he think he's the best. I took the summer class and it was pretty easy if you attend the class. One paper. Four quizzes. He drops the lowest quiz score. Oh and he's a Democrat so if you're right winged, you may not agree with him.

really fun guy

Probably one of the hardest, most interesting classes I've ever had. I read the news and watch tv with a new perspective. I see things from a new point of view - Not the view of the OC and I have Twicken to thank for that. Oh, and I also GET how government is structured. That paper you have to write - OMG, it's a killer! I LOVED his class

Great teacher and good person. His views are very extreme and he'll make sure you know exactly what they are, but they are always very educated. His view is backed up by something significant and he always is able to bring a light-hearted mood to topics. Always up for discussion and will smack you down in class if you say something stupid.

GREATEST TEACHER EVER. VERY INSPIRING AND HAS SOME HILARIOUS STORIES. 4 QUIZZES AND 10 PAGE PAPER THAT IS NOT AS HARD AS IT SOUNDS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Very good teacher, hes a liberal and he opens your mind to new ideas. Hes excellent if you want to challenge the way you think and come up with real truths about society and life. Great material we read. They are the hardest books ive ever read but they are so worth it, no homework, 3 test. Take this class

Let me put it this way, if you think America is perfectly fine the way it is at this moment in time. Dont take this man's class. If you feel something is wrong in our country and want someone to show you what many believe is the real truth. Take this man's class. He's liberal but at the same time the most original and passionate teacher I ever had

AWESOME TEACHER! Many people say he's an extreme leftist, but he just states the truth. It's just many people don't want to hear it! If you are open minded and would like have a teacher that is completely passionate about what he's saying, then take him. His class wasn't hard if you just do the work.

Twicken is hands down my favorite prof. at Saddleback. He has EXTENSIVE knowledge in every topic he teaches and loves to stick around and help his students out. Those that call him overly opinionated or "leftist" are usually the ones that never challenge or try to understand his ideas. Inspiring guy; take his classes.

While liberals or moderate students will love him, if you are a strong conservative Professor Twicken is probably not the professor for you. He will challenge your ideals and is very passionate about what he teaches and he knows his material inside and out. Reading the text carefully is a must because the quizzes are specific and can be difficult.

I DON'T KNOW WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING DOWN ON HIM SO HARD. HE IS AN EXTREMELY GIFTED TEACHER AND IF YOU ASK HIM A QUESTION, HE WILL DEFINETLY GIVE YOU AN ANSWER. AWESOME TEACHER. EASY A IF YOU JUST DO THE EASY WORK

Im a high schooler and I got an A in the class while taking 4 AP classes on top of that. His class is an easy A, as long as you do the reading and essay right. His lectures have nothing to do with the quizzes but its interesting.

He's awesome!!! You have to take good notes, but that's your tests and quizzes right there. Easy A, and great teacher!

By far one of the BEST professors at Saddleback. Has an incredible knowledge of Political Science, and really connects with all of his students. If you are smart and like political science or philosophy, TAKE THIS CLASS. Don't take him for credit-- you wont pass. Take him because you truly want to learn.

Ok so he takes FOREVER to grade your papers, you only have 4 quizes but we got so behind this semester we only had 3. the lectures are sometimes enjoyable but he goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with what we are learning, you HAVE to read in order to do well on the quizes, other than he's funny and enjoyable to listen to.

Larry is great. I am not even close to being as liberal as him but I really enjoyed his class. Actually, he recommended me for the Honors program and I am now a Poli Sci major because of him. Good sense of humor and class is actually pretty fun. Take the joint class he teaches with Braatz. Their interaction during class is priceless at best.

Twicken has a great personality and his lectures are fun to listen to. If you ask him in class exactly what will be on the 10 question quizzes then he'll tell you. Be thorough on your paper.

Pretty straight forward class. No homework, quizzes which are right out of his lectures, final was a 10 page paper. I showed up, listened, and made an effort on the paper and got an A. He does cuss, like a lot so be warned. lol

no attendance, no hw, one final 50% (multiple choice) only 10 questions, one 10 page paper 50%, soooo easy!!!

He is an easy teacher. No hw. 5 quizzes. One drops. Final is the 5th quiz. One of the first four drops. One 7-10 page paper. You can use your laptop for notes, not internet though. Has great stories. Gives you the answers through the lectures, and the reading isn't too difficult. One of the best and funniest teachers.

Honors Political Theory requires a ton of reading and I strongly urge attendance. Everyone is right about his ego but he is damn smart. As a staunch conservative, it was hard to swallow some of his VERY liberal/left views, but the content of the material was awesome. If you like political science, this class is a must take.

Twicken is liberal, but not unfair ab his facts & beliefs. He is logical & straight forward. People whine bc they can't handle their beliefs being questioned. If you have a legit argument, he'll partake in discussion. But if you're being an idiot, he'll prob let you know. Sounds fair to me. Quizzes are easy if you take notes. 10pg paper is basic.

Great class, but don't take it unless its required or you have a LOT of free time. Really funny, interesting, and smart teacher. Just be prepared to peel through his liberal nature. Isn't the fastest grader, but what can you do?

He was pretty tough. We used three textbooks, and all three were used a lot. The tests were pretty much based off the reading, and there was A LOT of reading. If you don't like reading monotonous history books... don't take it. I took the summer course and it seemed VERY long. Grade= 5 to 7 page paper 50%, final 25%, 3 quizzes 25%.

This is seriously one of the funniest and best Political Science teachers I've ever had. Be prepared to endure tangential and hilarious lectures and learn alot. Conservatives and idiots beware! Hint: Sit in the front of the class, and engage in conversation. He'll like you regardless of politics as long as you participate and are there to learn. A+

Good Guy!, VERY LIBERAL!!! imposes his views on the class, which can be a bad thing to impressionable college students! sometimes he can be pretty offensive, but he is funny! Long grader, very vague tests, lots of READING, be up to date on it all, take the best notes you can in class you'll need them cuz he goes off topic alot! Good class overall

Worthy adversary in political debates.

I love this man. Two essays, two book reports.

Awesome professor. If you took his regular class and did not do well it is because you probably have very poor writing and comprehension skills. I took his honors course which required more work, but was well worth it.

Professor Twicken is one of a few instructors at Saddleback who remains actively dedicated to teaching. While his lectures appear to be tangential rants with the moral buried in personal anecdotes, if you understand his philosophy they are chock-full of meaning. In four different classes I have come to appreciate his outlook, and broadened my own.

One of the toughest classes I've ever taken, but don't shy away from it just because the material seems difficult. The class is modeled after an upper division course at UCLA. Your grade consists of two essay tests, an analysis of a text and a related article, a presentation, and a final. It's truly a rewarding class. You have to earn your grade!

Incredibly interesting, chooses excellent texts, is a good man and a passionate teacher and human being. I took him several years back and to this day the things I learned in this course have been invaluable to me in work, life and conversation. I would say this course opened my eyes to the world in a way few others ever would. Good stuff.

If you don't take this man's class, you are making a huge mistake. He changed my life. I took every class that he taught. There are a few of us "twickenites" out there. He is an amazing professor

You will read 6 texts and 2 documents in their entireties. If that makes you gag, stop here and never consider this class again. Three essay exams, no hw. You won't do well if you skim or sparknote; Twicken has a shockproof radar for BS and the questions are pretty specific. Got an A. Twicken is an irritating lecturer though.

Clear and expressive instructor who is willing to help other students. As far as workload is concerned, Twicken assigns no outside written work save a research paper; reading material is assigned as well. Read the material at home and you will receive a great grade and great knowledge on political science.

2 in class essay exams (book-reports), 2 essays + presentation. An 'A' is very doable...just go to class, participate, do any extra credit, read the books! You will love this class if you are at all interested in the debate btwn science and religion!! NO textbooks, just 4 small (inexpensive) books.

He takes forever responding to emails and classes are extremely impersonal. His lectures are long, winding, and oftentimes unrelated personal rants. There's no homework, and he doesn't even notice if you're gone. These are all good things if you're lazy. He says he can tell if you read sparknotes, but I did that and still got an A in honors.

Professor Twicken is a 4/5 on the helpfulness scale, and the clarity of his lectures are outstanding. The teacher is exetremely open minded, and can sometimes say the wrong thing in class. The teacher does not grade your tests before the drop date. If you can bring a tape-recorder to class you will get an "A". If you can not tape the lectures drop

Read some previous comments and was a little concerned about taking this class. Thought him and I would butt heads. Turns out he is one of my favorite professors ever. Kept class interesting. Three short quizzes, one paper. Talks about family often and drops f bombs like it's cool. Show up to class, pay attention, you'll get decent grade.

Twicken is a great person, not so good teacher. You need the book to know whats going on. When he assigns the 50% paper I suggest starting it ASAP.

Hands down my favorite class last semester, all we did was argue in class. He has you get 6 books for the class, you end up wanting to keep the books so buy them, you read the books then discuss it in class. Admits that the readings are difficult so he tries to guide you on them. Grading is difficult I don't think anyone earned more than 80 on them

Dr Twicken is hands down one of the gems of the higher learning experience, essential for all 21st century citizens. Not to rely on cliches but, one must know where we've been in order to know where ones going, and Dr Twicken puts students in that drivers seat enabling one to discover a more accurate truth RE: whats really been going on.

This was easily my favorite class I've ever taken. You do read a lot, however The readings are interesting and enjoyable in my opinion. His lectures are incredibly interesting too. lastly, when you get the assignment for your essay i'd recommend starting right away, you pick a work of political philosophy and write an essay about it.

Great teacher!

He is the best political science teacher I've ever had. I love how he roasts republicans/conservatives every day. You can get away without reading the books as long as you the main parts with some detail. He is not an easy grader, but the tests get easier after the first one. The term paper and the presentation aren't as hard as they seem.

To conservatives, Republicans, and Christians, be prepared to hear your beliefs roasted often, but Twicken is respectful of intellectual honesty and curiosity and loves to banter with students which is always entertaining. He is very knowledgable & inspires you to read political philosophy. This class is unique because you think, not memorize.

Two papers, two in-class essays, two take-home essays, and two presentations constitute the coursework. You read four books, too. It is easy for an honors course and there's extra credit. The class covers topics ranging from climate change to the social contract theory and is very relevant. Note: grading takes until the end of the semester.

Easy class and funny guy. His favorite topics include Christianity, daughter that goes to Harvard, having intercourse with wife, African American inequality, social contract, racism,de facto segregation, Socrates, Plato, dangers of fundamentalism, etc. Careful when choosing topics hes familiar with because hell destroy u when u present in class

Honestly an awesome dude. Pretty chill. But you gotta work for that A. Ive gotten an A in all his classes, but I also read all the material he told us to read. Dont skimp, youll regret it. Hes the harsher grader of the duo, as youll see even in Repkas tests that one is much easier than the other. However, Twicken is a MUCH quicker grader.