Wonderful professor. Very clear and precise. Very helpful in office hours. Made subject extremely engaging. We spent half the course playing Statecraft with class divided into 12 teams, and it was a very rewarding experience. Take him if you want to learn.

Prof. McDonald is hilarious, but teaches the material in an effective matter and can be serious when need be. Short and simple: He's a good teacher. GOV 312L was an easy class, as long as you spent about 4 hrsweek doing the readings.

Prof. McDonald is great. He takes his job seriously, is fair, patient, and clear. He doesn't run away from tough questions by students and does his best to provide a well-rounded response. He would probably repeat/rephrase an explanation fifty times if he had to for you to understand.

Dr. McD is so cool! Moser was good too. He answered all of my questions in Office Hours with an excellent attitude. He explains himself well, and is just an all-round friendly guy. The pop quizzes are easy, and if you use your Study Guides, you'll make an A. The class requires effort, and you must do your h/w as told and do the SGs, you'll do well

I took GOV 312 (online) with him and Moser and it's a pretty easy A. Both of them are very clear and the study guide basically covers all of the test so make sure to study them! I don't understand the negative reviews of them because the class is pretty easy. Don't sleep on the essay though, it's graded pretty hard.

There is a lot of work for this class between the learning modules and assigned readings. The tests also have a lot of material on them. Besides how tough the class was, McDonald was a good professor. The live class was always very interesting and the material discussed was always relevant to current issues in some way.

The amount of videos assigned every week is too much for a 3 credit hour class. However, as long as you watch the videos, do the reviews, and put some thought into the essay you'll be fine. Very interesting content, open-note quizzes, tests require effort but are generously curved, and you don't have to do the reading to get an A. Would take again.

The modules you have to watch does appear to be a bit excessive, but definitely doable. Just take the questions from the powerpoints and answer them (answers are in the modules) and bam you have notes that will aide you well. Tests are designed to be tricky, but at least there's a curve.

READ THE MODULES - I thought that I came in with substantial knowledge about foreign policy and I was lax on keeping up/going in depth for the modules. Study the modules, go to McDonald's office hours and talk about the module info - he is so helpful. For the exams, make sure you know the review and DO IT YOURSELF, don't rely on the google doc

Lots of pre-class module readings, definitely have to rely on some sort of group review session on google doc for tests. Besides that though McDonald is a hilarious and chill professor that loves football and has amazing chemistry with Prof Moser who co-teaches this class.

Lot's of modules to complete outside of class. The workload can become overwhelming if you don't keep up with it. As long as you keep up with the modules, you'll pass.

McDonald is a good professor. Watching him and Moser interact was always funny. Course material can be a bit difficult to understand and goes pretty fast at times. I always had a relatively hard time on the test, as they seemed a little hard for an intro course like this. Lots of outside the class modules and readings. Overall, I enjoyed the course

One of the easier options for GOV312L. Made an A with lots of wiggle room. Online discussions/quizzes boost your grade. Tests are in person. Lots of outside videos/reading but not all are necessary. Just have a general idea of each article (can get from videos or PPT instead of reading). Do the review, skim the outside material and you'll be fine!

While the lectures can be on the longer side, the material and tests are straightforward. It can be easy to fall significantly behind. Besides their constant need to justify American imperialism throughout history, McDonald and Moser generally do a good job teaching the course.

Wow this class was amazing! I learned so much about foreign policy and current events. This class is quite a lot of reading and work but seriously what you learn is so relevant!! You have to have the discipline to log in on class days and pay attention, but I thought it was really nice to just stay at home and do class!

Moser and McDonald were very fun and very boring to listen to. Their exams are straight forward but they're the type to actually throw trick questions in there. 3 exams but one slip up will HURT your grade more than it seems. Their lectures are long and you will take hours just on one module taking notes. TAKE NOTES!!! quizzes are fairly simple.

Pat is a great professor and takes the time to make sure the students know the material; he explains it in a way that is easy to grasp. Came in not liking government and came out really interested in the way the US handles foreign policy. The only downside would be the amount of pre-lecture modules there were (they got to be a lot at some points).

I loved this class. It was very interesting and McDonald loves what he does. You have to read and watch videos a lot but it is worth it. He is accessible and wants to help you. You have to watch class because there are quizzes. It keeps you up with current events. DO THE STUDY GUIDE!!!!! I got a C on the test when I did not do it and As when I did.

I learned a lot in this class. Mos/McD were knowledgeable and cared about the topic. They wanted us to do well. If you get behind on the modules, expect a lot of stress before tests. Tests are also curved (5-10 pts) so an A is really doable. The downside was that lectures were scripted and hard to follow. Expect to pause and rewatch everything.

The tests are very comprehensive and can include any detail covered in the lectures. All the quizzes are straight forward and the writing assignments are over current day events with a clear grading criteria. Only studying the day before the test using the collaborative review managed to pass each test with a B+ or A.

It's a relatively easy class but it requires a lot of work. KEEP UP with the readings, listen to ALL the lectures, do well on quizzes, and DO NOT MESS UP ON DISCUSSION WRITINGS. You have two and each one is graded out of 2, so if you even slightly mess up, you have a 75% or 50% for your discussion writing avg. Tests are lecture/reading heavy.

The weekly quizzes are extremely easy. Tests weren't too hard after studying the day before. Make sure you stay on top of the weekly modules. The test material is directly from the lectures and just a little bit from the readings. The class is organized well and I learned a lot about government.

Government isn't personally my favorite subject, but this class is totally doable. Just be sure to study throughout the semester and you'll be good.

The online class consisted of pre-recorded lectures followed by 5 question quizzes on the content (easy). Graded by quizzes, 3 midterms (in person), and every 2 weeks watching a longer video and paragraph response is required. Recommend 100%- completing the assignments and studying for exams will get you an A.

I took this class online 1st Semester Summer 2020. Overall it was easy. There's a lot of videos to watch but they weren't too bad. The quizzes after each lecture are easy but the exams are a bit harder. Take detailed notes and be sure to take note of examples given in the textbook and lectures. Do your work and you should be able to get an A or B.

Self-paced, easy and fun class if you like government, pretty easy but boring class if you don't. Pretty much all grades from tests which aren't too difficult (still gotta study a bit tho)

Professor McDonald was pretty good. The lectures could definitely get boring and took a lot of time to get to the point. As far as government classes go, this was one where I do feel like I learned a lot. However, it was all over foreign policy which I was disappointed about. I was excited to learn more about Congress and our US government.

Mcdonald and Moser are good lecturers but this class is very lecture heavy and tests are hard because of the answer choices. It will be like A, B, C, or A and B, or ABC, so it makes it hard to narrow it down to one. There are quizzes at the end of every module that are pretty easy. Just don't fall behind because it can be a lot to catch up on.

The class is structured in a way that make it easy to get an A. The quizzes are easy but the tests are a bit challenging (curves help A LOT). The online lectures can be boring and long, however, this isn't too bad of a class. Also you don't really need to do the assigned readings.

Easiest A ever. McDonald is a great speaker. 100% take this class.

Lectures get boring so I watch them at 2x speed. The quizzes and final paper were extremely easy. Make sure to stay on track of the quizzes yourself (I missed several because there was no reminder.) The tests are a bit harder but there is a generous curve. Make use of the study guide.

The lectures were pretty boring, but I enjoyed the INNs (current news segments) we had every other week. Tests were very easy, as were quizzes, and they try to give everyone a 100 on the final paper as long as you follow the instructions. Always available on piazza/ via email and the TAs were pretty nice. Easy class to take for credit.

Took Moser/McDonald's GOV 312L class. Quizzes are extremely easy, and the final paper is graded very generously. The tests aren't too bad as long as you spend the night before going through all the lectures. If you study well enough, you can easily get over a 100+ in this class. Good professors.

The class was okay... There were weekly quizzes due every Wednesday and Friday that really put a buffer on your grade. But the 4 exams were tough. The multiple-choice questions were all five answer choices and the exams were proctored.

Hardest part of this class is probably the exams bc of the format but there is usually a decent curve on it. You will be fine if you study and read the questions carefully. I didn't use the textbook and it worked out. The lectures are broken down into manageable modules; 2x speed is the way to go. Set reminders for the quizzes. You've got this!!!!!

I learned a lot from this class! All of the content was pre-recorded, and a lot was taken from prior semesters, so the flow wasn't always great. But overall it's a good course. The exams are a pretty tricky multiple choice, but there's a nice curve.

Take extremely detailed notes over the lectures & immediately fill out the questions on the study guide (given at the start of each unit). I didnt do 95% of the readings, they usually talk about them in lecture. Just fill out the study guide & a day before the exam read over it. I got a 102 in this class w/ extra credit. Not hard if you study smart

All you need to do to pass the tets is complete the study guide that he gives you. He gave us all generous extra credit this semester because of the snow storm so he obviously cares about his students.

You don't need to read the textbook. Just make sure you can answer all of the questions on the study guide and you'll do fine. Also, the curves are ridiculously high so don't stress about the exams. The quizzes are open-note so you can find the answers in the powerpoint for the most part.

I enjoyed McDonald's class. The material was so interesting since current events were incorporated into the lectures. The two quizzes each week are not difficult and they drop your 5 lowest quizzes. There are 3 exams in the semester. Many students struggled with the wording but there is a curve. With the curve, I never got below a 90 on an exam.

I thought I wouldn't be interested in foreign policy at all, but Professor Mcdonald's passion regarding the subject was so moving that I almost felt obligated to listen. Even learning about the complex relationships in the Middle East seemed fun with his lectures shared with Moses.

Some of these reviews are very dramatic; Mcdonald is a good, passionate professor and he was very kind and understanding of students during the winter storm. The tests can be a bit difficult, but if you literally just study a little & watch the lectures, you will do fine. They curve well, and it is by no means impossible to do well in the course.

The weekly quizzes were super easy and same with the INNs although those took an hour sometimes. The tests were also easy as long as you watch his lectures (on 2x speed), take notes, and use your notes to fill out the study guide because the questions are basically applying the study guide.

I truly did enjoy Moser's & McDonald's GOV312L course, they are both intelligent individuals who work off of each other well. With that being said, this was probably the hardest course I've taken to date. I feel like I was getting a good understanding of the content, but the tests are worded to make you second guess yourself. It is also proctored.

If you want to read more on the GOV312L online course I would recommend looking at Prof Moser's RMP since he leads the course. McDonald co-heads the lectures and honestly is a big reason I was able to understand most of the course content. McDonald is a good lecturer and many times he clarified topics that I didn't understand the first time.

Very lenient. HW is very manageable (2 modules a week each with a quiz (no time limit, each module take less than 1 hr if u fast forward). The lecture vids and module questions cover everything you need to take notes on and you don't need to read the textbook (even though they say it's required). Idk y so many negative reviews.

I took McDonald and Shaw's GOV 310L Summer course and really liked it. Lectures are usually interesting but long. Most of the grade is made up of 3 exams, but they're not cumulative, online, unproctored, multiple choice coming from a test bank thats been used for years, so pretty easy to do well.

He actually cares about his students' grades and gives fair curves on exams. The workload is decent.

Would wholeheartedly recommend McDonald's International Security course. Not the easiest A in the world, but his lectures are absolutely fantastic, and I learned so much from his teaching. Only gripe I had with the class was its size, which was large for an upper-division. If you're interested in war or security studies, definitely take this class.

I took Professor McDonald over the summer, which I've heard is different than during the school year, and he was amazing. Along with Professor Moser, the two of them are hilarious and are great lecturers. I went into it thinking I would hate government, but I enjoyed the content very much. Lots of reading, but the grading is easy.

I took GOV312L online and was terrified by the other reviews I saw on here, but DO NOT FEAR! Truly, this class is not bad at all if you keep up with the lectures and readings. If you take good, detailed notes and fill out the review sheets, you will 100% be set for the tests. Super knowledgable professors and the class is very well-run/organized.

Took online summer class, assignments due every weeknight and 3 exams. If you watch the lectures each night, take notes, and skim through the readings you'll be okay. I studied for all the exams, got a 103 on the first but 88s on the last 2. Definitely got harder. Doable, but you need to have a little time set aside for it. Very fast paced.

McDonald and Moser co teach GOV 312L. I enjoy government, but the lectures can get quite dry. Two untimed and easy quizzes due every week, Tests are fair with some weirdly worded questions, but they also give a curve after every test (8-15ish points) Two opportunities for small extra credit during the semester. Not as bad as some say it is.

CAREFUL WITH TEXTBOOK - I think a lot of people got confused and grade suffered bc nobody knew what was going on (myself included). The tests are tricky. Lots of A,B,C, "A & B are correct", "all of the above". Overall, easy A but will need some effort. Study bits and pieces 3 days before exam then it's a relatively easy A. Content is interesting!

Not an amazing class, professors were nothing sensational, sometimes sounded scripted in the online videos. Tests were really specific but straight off the slides and needed a day or two of memorizing but overall wasn't too difficult once you knew what to expect from the test.

Lots of lectures, and short (easy) quizzes after each unit. The lectures were interesting, but there were a lot of them. The three tests were multiple choice and curved a lot, so not too bad. There is no writing in this class, which makes it relatively easy.

The online course for international relations was not difficult, but be aware of the strict deadlines and copious amounts of homework received. Finding a rhythm with this course took a few weeks, but it was not difficult overall. Be sure to watch all lectures and read the textbook, as they ARE on the test.

McDonald and Moser were great government professors! They are good friends and you can tell they care about gov. The only grades are textbook responses (super short), lecture quizzes (5 questions), and 3 exams. The exams are just like the review and the lecture questions come straight from the recorded lectures or google. Definitely recommend

Quizzes were very easy and so were textbook activities. Content was interesting and the profs were fairly engaging. The tests are the only hard part but if you study you'll do fine.

It's an online course so it really comes down to you to determine how well you do. I enjoyed the freedom of the pre-recorded lectures and the 50 question, 3 exams were very manageable if you did the review sheets. You should want to do them though because the exam formats can be very difficult (Usually 5 multiple choice answer options per quesiton)

Had him and prof. Rob Moser online and they made a great impression. They put together amazing material and I learned A LOT. Does require a some effort/studying if you want to do well on the exams. Generous with quiz drops/test curve and did well even after missing multiple quizzes, turning in assignments late, and ok exam scores (I didn't study).

Prof McDonald was very gracious about turning in assignments late. The class itself is fairly interesting, and the online nature made it easy to catch up/learn the material fast. DO THE REVIEWS! They help immensely. This is definitely not the easiest Gov class but it is certainly worth your while. Put in the work and you will be fine!

Not the easiest or most engaging class but the content is interesting and challenges you to think about things in new ways. Attendance is mandatory and you must do the readings. Tests are challenging and there are no reviews but if you put in the work throughout the semester you can do well. The take-home portions of tests help your average.

McDonald is a great professor and his lectures were engaging despite me having no interest in government. My only complaint is how difficult the tests were in comparison to the quizzes and assignments. I found them to be far harder than my engineering tests, and if you have a bad memory like me, devote sufficient time to studying.

Overall pretty descent class, Tests were reasonably difficult if you study. I spent more time in this class than any of my other classes. The textbook is pretty expensive as well, around 80 dollars i believe. So if you are willing to put in the work, then you will get an A.

In conjunction with Moser, this class was not hard to get an A in; however, do not let the exams get ahead of you though because a bad grade on those could potentially give you a lot of stress. There was also a lot of homework, ranging from textbook assignments and lecture quizzes. The lectures are fun and informative. Look at the slides.

I took this class with McDonald and Moser and I thought that it was good! McDonald was always reachable, and sometimes I would challenge quiz questions and he would always work with me and sometimes give credit back! There are 3 exams, lots of quizzes, and lots of textbook readings and assignments. Don't fall behind and you will do fine.

McDonald's GOV312L class is engaging despite the subject matter. The exams can be tricky, but the quizzes and assignments help a lot. Unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for me - definitely check it out along with the textbook readings.

The exams for this class are really hard. Unless you're prelaw/have an interest in government I would not recommend him for your core. It's a lot of reading and lecture videos. That being said, I loved the content discussed in this class and professor McDonald is engaging and also super sweet and helpful during office hours!

His course is pretty easy if you just watch the lectures, ramble in the textbooks on the current state of the world, and power through the quizzes (only 10 questions a week). Free A honestly, just watch the news. Exams weren't hard, straight from lectures and powerpoints. Little to no studying required.

Lots of work for a core & hated it for the first half. That said, I learned lots about modern politics. The professors are super nice, engaging, & organized. FOR MOST EFFICIENT WORK: don't take notes, fill out the exam review while watching the lectures. Then study it for 2-3 hours before exams for A's!!! I enjoyed the class when I did it this way.

Honestly, you are graded by so little outside of the exams which hurts the grade a lot even if exams are worth so less because you have very little practice for the exams which are insanely tough. Viewing the amazing lectures is a must. Overall, the hard exams were a huge hindrance to this course as they did not reflect course material properly.

After going through the entire GOV312L class, I couldn't tell you who is Moser and who is McDonald. But the class content was actually very interesting and informative. If you don't watch the lectures, the tests will be difficult. But if you actually watch the lectures, take notes, and do the review, you will do fine.

This class definitely is test heavy, has an unequal work load each week, and requires a lot of work for a core class, but if you approach it as such you should be fine. Give yourself 2 weeks to study for exams, do the review sheet, do the extra credit, carefully complete the module quizzes, do the readings, and actively listen to the lectures.

Mid lectures but tests aren't too bad.

I couldn't tell you who is McDonald and who is Moser, but both were kind of funny in the few lectures that I watched. The textbook teaches everything the lectures do, but much more quickly. Skip the lectures, read the textbook, and review it before the test and you will be chilling. I devoted ~30min per week to this course and got an A.

GOV 312L with Moser and McDonald was one of the most interesting gov classes I've taken. Get ready to read and watch the lectures + take notes, but quite frankly, the content is very useful and relevant and the profs are super chill. They grade fairly and give big curves as well. Highly recommend if you like learning!

Lectures were clear and informative, if a bit long at times, and the structure of the class supported my learning and made it easier to succeed.

great professors, lots of lectures, graded on quizzes, tests, and the occasional paper. I have no complaints, easy class.

This professor was very clear in explaining things during the semester. Rewatching lectures and following the review questions helped me a lot when studying for exams, however there was a lot to go through.

Exams could be tricky, but they give you a review sheet to do that covers everything on the exams. Do the readings, watch the lectures, and do the review sheet!! It helps narrow down what you realllyyy need to know!!!

Super simple course, easy to follow, and light course load. Lectures are engaging, and typically are shorter than a normal class. Highly recommend for a gov credit.

McDonald was a great professor, but the class is just hard. Lots of work every week. Was spending the same amount of time on this class as I was on Clinical Pharmacology. 4-ish extra credit opportunities. 3 major exams. Textbook required. 2 textbook quizzes per week.

Though Moser and McDonald were nice, take this class in-person. The workload is heavy for a core class and tests (which are WAY more difficult than daily quizzes) are in the format "A, B, C, A and B, All of the above" and they will intentionally make one answer choice confusing. If you do decide to take it, email Moser to opt in for the paper exam.

The professor is entertaining and is good at explaining the topics, but the class itself is way too time consuming for what it is, the topics are interesting and the professor does a great job at keeping it interesting and applicable to the current day, but can be stressful for students with already difficult or committed schedules.

Exams are insane!!

Interesting class and the lectures are entertaining. If you only write your notes based on the test review, you won't spend that much on the class and it'll be easy to get an A. Tests can be a bit tricky but they tell you that the wrong answers will be obviously wrong which makes it easy to narrow it down to the right one.